PRESS

Libyan crisis: President Tebboune evokes Algerian-Tunisian initiative

ALGIERS- President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune evoked, on Sunday evening, a possible Algerian-Tunisian initiative for the resolution of the Libyan crisis, expressing optimism about the settlement of this crisis.

During his regular interview with the national media, President Tebboune spoke of "a possible Algerian-Tunisian solution" to the crisis in Libya, reaffirming that the resolution of the conflict between Libyans "must go through the table of dialogue and that the use of arms is not and never will be the solution.

Recalling Algeria's equidistant position, President Tebboune reiterated with regard to "individual decisions" that Algeria "neither supports nor opposes" but, he added, "we refuse to be presented with a fait accompli."

After assuring that "Algeria, which has no desire to go it alone, cannot impose any initiative or solution without the sponsorship of the United Nations and the Security Council," President Tebboune said that "if we want the good of the Libyan people, we must let them decide their own destiny on the basis of popular legitimacy, under the aegis of the United Nations."

"Being close to the Libyan people, we had warned against certain actions," the president continued, deploring "the worsening situation" in which Libyans are isolated except for two poles in the east and west of the country.

Regretting "the attempts to involve certain Libyan tribes in the armed conflict in the last 24 hours", the president of the Republic said he was worried to see this country transformed into a battlefield between great powers, considering that "this is a very dangerous situation that could tip Libya into the same fate as Somalia".

Nevertheless, President Tebboune said he was optimistic that the Libyan crisis could be resolved "on the basis of the aspirations of the Libyan people for the future of their country."

In this connection, he referred to "permanent consultations with all international parties with a view to reaching a solution to the crisis in this brotherly country as soon as possible", stressing contacts with Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia, Kaïs Saïed of Tunisia and Emmanuel Macron of France.

Referring to the channels of communication and consultation with many countries, such as Mauritania, Turkey, Egypt and many others at the level of Foreign Ministers, Tebboune deplored the failure of several parties to comply with the conclusions of the Berlin Conference.