Egypt chief-of-staff mediates between Libyan rivals in Cairo

by Dramelin 1:00 AM 0 comments

Egypt`s chief-of-staff has mediated between two Libyan rivals who refused to meet face to face in Cairo but later agreed to form a committee to renegotiate a U.N. peace deal. He says they agreed to form a joint committee that would make key changes to the 2015 U.N.-brokered peace deal. Libya`s east-based parliament does not recognize the U.N.-backed government set up in the country`s capital, Tripoli. Once the parliament, based in eastern Libya, endorses the changes, it would pave the way for parliamentary and presidential elections next year. Col. Tamer el-Rifai, an Egyptian army spokesman, says the two ? the head of Libya`s U.N.-backed government, Fayez Serraj, and Khalifa Hifter, the country`s most powerful army commander ? met separately with Egypt`s chief-of-staff, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Hegazy late on Tuesday.