French Presence in Libya Bothers Algeria and Washington

Libyan crisis took an important part of talks that were held by the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Anthony Blinken, who ended a visit to Algeria, on Sunday.

Blinken, said that his talks with the Algerian officials focused on the efforts to restore peace in Libya and in some Arab and regional countries. 

“Algeria plays a leading role in the region, a role which USA appreciates very much.” 

“USA has a deep partnership with Algeria, not only on the security level, which remained for many years the title of the good relationships between Algeria and Washington that extend to the economic and cultural fields”. 

US official’s visit to Algeria comes at a time when neighbouring Libya is living important developments, that are characterizing with the recognition of the French President, François Hollande, of the presence of French soldiers on the Libyan soil, and this in the wake of the killing of three French soldiers in a helicopter shot down. 

Some Libyan cities are noticing popular protests condemning the French “illegal” presence on the Libyan territory, especially since the French presence was a supporter of the party that is hostile to the Libyan reconciliation government that is recognized internationally, suggesting that Paris is working against the efforts of Algeria to restore calm and stability through this government.

French military presence on the Libyan territory during these days is repeating what was done by Paris during the era of the former President, Nicolas Sarkozy, when Libya was introduced in disarray, which repercussions are still existing in this country, and also in the regions of North Africa and the Sahel. 

In this sense, observers worried that the aim of the French military presence in Libya, is to confuse the scene and introduce the country once again into chaos for considerations that are known only by Paris, after Tripoli is reaching the end of the tunnel, through gathering politicians and tribal factions on the national unity government. 

It is known that the French soldiers who were killed along with Khalifa Haftar forces in Benghazi, knowing that Haftar is a dissident leader who refused to recognize the government of Fayez Al-Sarraj, backed by the international community and in particular, Algeria, which was the first country which he visited immediately after his appointment. 

Observers expect that Algerian officials express their resentment for what is done by Paris, a preoccupation which have received a favorable response by the US administration, which is expressed in the words of its official  who asserted that USA believes in Algeria’s leading role in Libya and in the region in general, noting that Washington criticized through one of its officials, the quick French military intervention in Libya, and considered it the cause of all conflicts that prevailed in the Sahel and North Africa.