Libyan premier to visit Sudan on Sunday

August 24, 2017 (KHARTOUM) – Libya’s Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj will visit Khartoum on Sunday for talks with the Sudanese government officials on bilateral relations, the semi official Sudanese Media Center (SMC) announced on Thursday.

The head of the of Libya’s internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) has cancelled a visit to Khartoum last March following armed clashes between the government army and a local militia in the capital Tripoli.

During his two-day official visit to Sudan al-Sarraj will meet with President Omer al-Bashir, First Vice President and Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Salih.

Also, he is expected to sign an agreement establishing a joint political consultation committee between the two countries.

The visit comes after an attack on the government forces in North and East Darfur states last May by two armed groups. Khartoum says the Sudanese rebels launched their attack on North Darfur from Libya and accused the General Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) of supporting them.

This week, Khartoum and Cairo agreed to cooperate together to prevent the Sudanese rebel groups present in eastern Libya from establishing the security on the joint border areas with Libya.

Haftar has the support of Egyptian government in his war against the Jihadist groups present in Libya.

Khartoum in the past proposed the formation of joint patrols on the border with Sudan and Chad. Of course, it proposed also the signing of a security agreement with Ndjamena.

Regional experts say the instability in the north African country affects directly border countries, Algeria, Chad, Egypt Niger, Sudan and Tunisia.

(ST)