Egyptian Parliament authorizes troop deployment in Libya

While the stand-off continues on the ground around the Sirte ‘red line’, political tensions between Egypt, aligned with Eastern Libyan factions opposing the Government of National Accord (GNA) and its foreign backer, Turkey, reached a new high this week. In fact, on 20 July, the Egyptian parliament gave its consent for troop deployment to Egypt’s ‘western front’, Al-Jazeera reports. This decision came in the wake of a warning by Egyptian President Al-Sisi of an Egyptian intervention in Libya to secure Egypt’s security. This escalation prompted an intervention of the United-States resulting in an agreement to maintain the status quo in Libya between US President Trump and President El-Sisi during a phone call on 20 July, Reuters reports. Analysts fear that an escalation in tensions could lead to a direct confrontation between Egypt and Turkey on Libyan soil.Click here to read the Al-Jazeera article.Click here to read the Reuters article.