Libyan military chief holding talks in Cairo: Spokesman

By Rabie Abu Zamel

CAIRO

Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar has reportedly held a number of meetings in Egypt after having recently returned from Paris where he had gone for medical treatment after suffering a stroke.

On Wednesday evening, Ahmed al-Mesmari, a spokesman for forces loyal to Libya’s Tobruk-based parliament (which appointed Haftar military commander in 2015), told France 24 by phone that the army chief would soon return to Libya after “a tour that included several international meetings”.

Haftar is in “excellent” health, al-Mesmari said, going on to assert that he had met with the commander -- who is expected to return to Libya later Thursday -- in the Egyptian capital.

The spokesman also stressed the importance of Egypt’s role in helping to mediate ongoing talks between Libya’s warring political camps.

While Haftar’s arrival in Cairo on Tuesday was reported by local media, the Egyptian authorities have yet to officially comment on his visit.

Haftar has not made any recent public appearances, with the exception of a video message released earlier this month in which he said his forces were on the verge of capturing the eastern city of Derna.