Egypt’s Sisi tells West to keep out of Libya

Rome / AFP

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has warned Western powers Libya could spiral out of control if they try to intervene militarily in the conflict-wracked North African state. Speaking in a rare interview, the military-backed ruler of one of the region’s biggest powers said the West and its allies should instead concentrate on strengthening the army of Libya’s internationally recognised government and let it do the job of stabilising the country.The army is commanded by Khalif Haftar, an officially retired general who spent 20 years in exile in the United States and has been described as a potential ‘Libyan Sisi’ because of his fierce opposition to extremist groups.