Libya's neighbors seek solutions at Algeria peace meet

By Abbas Maymouni

ALGIERS (AA) - Foreign ministers from North Africa on Thursday met to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Libya without any participation from the Libyan side.

Tunisia, Egypt, Niger, Chad, Mali and Sudan are participating at the meeting in the capital Algiers.

The meeting which was initiated by Algeria aims to find a political solution for the crisis in Libya in light of the agreement on the Berlin conference held last Sunday.

An Algerian diplomat told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter that the meeting was limited to neighboring countries of Libya.

The diplomat denied what the media reported about Algeria's invitation to East Libya-based commander Khalifa Haftar.

Mohamed Al-Tahir, foreign minister of Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), on Wednesday said he turned down an invitation to attend the meeting because representatives from Haftar's side had also been invited.

Germany's Foreign Minister Heiko Maas who is visiting Algeria has joined the meeting.

On Jan. 12, conflicting parties in Libya announced a cease-fire in response to a joint call by the Turkish and Russian leaders. But talks for a permanent cease-fire deal ended without an agreement after Haftar left Moscow without signing the deal.

Last week, Haftar accepted terms in Berlin to designate members to a UN-proposed military commission with five members from each side to monitor implementation of the cease-fire.

Since the ouster of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: Haftar in eastern Libya, supported mainly by Egypt and the UAE, and the GNA in Tripoli, which enjoys the UN and international recognition.

*Bassel Ibrahim contributed to this report from Ankara