Sisi meets Haftar as Egypt balances Libya’s rival power centres

CAIRO – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi reiterated Cairo’s support for Libya’s territorial unity, the reunification of its institutions and presidential and parliamentary elections during talks with Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Haftar on Wednesday, as Egypt seeks to maintain influence across Libya’s divided political landscape.

Sisi welcomed Haftar to Cairo and stressed the importance of Egypt’s longstanding ties with its western neighbour, while reaffirming support for Libya’s security, stability and development, according to Egyptian presidential spokesman Mohamed El-Shennawy.

The talks were attended by Libyan National Army Chief of Staff Khaled Haftar, Libya Reconstruction and Development Fund director Qassem Haftar and Egyptian General Intelligence Service chief Hassan Rashad.

Haftar praised Egypt’s efforts to promote peace, security and stability in the region, particularly in Libya, and expressed support for initiatives aimed at preserving the country’s unity and restoring stability, the presidency said.

The meeting follows Sisi’s reception earlier this month of Abdulhamid Dbeibah, prime minister of the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, highlighting Cairo’s effort to maintain working relationships with both of Libya’s main rival camps.

Egypt has long backed a political settlement that preserves Libya’s territorial integrity and calls for national elections, while also maintaining close security and political ties with Haftar, whose forces control much of eastern and southern Libya.

The balancing act has become increasingly important as Libya’s political stalemate persists and international efforts to establish a credible path towards elections remain stalled.

For Cairo, Libya is also a direct national security issue. The two countries share a lengthy border, and instability in Libya can have consequences for Egypt ranging from cross-border insecurity and organised crime to irregular migration and disruption of strategic energy and trade interests.

The latest meeting also comes against a backdrop of renewed strains in western Libya, where protests over public services and living conditions have highlighted the weakness of state institutions and the persistence of competing armed groups.

Eastern Libya has sought to project a different image, presenting itself as a more tightly controlled and secure part of the country. Haftar’s camp has increasingly sought to turn that relative stability into political capital, particularly as international actors consider how Libya might be governed during any future transition.

That gives the Sisi-Haftar relationship significance beyond bilateral ties.

If Libya moves towards a new political arrangement, international and regional powers will need partners capable not only of claiming legitimacy but also of exercising influence on the ground. Haftar’s control over large areas of the country gives him considerable leverage, even though his camp remains part of a broader political divide that has prevented the establishment of unified national institutions.

Cairo’s decision to receive both Haftar and Dbeibah suggests it is seeking to avoid being locked into either side of that divide.

The approach also reflects changing regional dynamics.

Turkey, which played a major role in supporting the Tripoli government during the conflict with Haftar’s forces, has in recent years expanded its contacts with eastern Libya. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan’s visit to Benghazi and meetings involving Haftar’s son Saddam in Ankara have underscored a more pragmatic Turkish approach to the country’s rival power centres.

That shift could alter the regional balance around Libya.

For years, the country was one of the clearest arenas for rivalry between Turkey and Egypt, with each backing opposing sides during the civil conflict. A broader Turkish engagement with eastern Libya could reduce that zero-sum dynamic while also giving Ankara greater influence over any future political settlement.

For Egypt, maintaining ties with Haftar while keeping channels open to Tripoli allows Cairo to protect its interests regardless of how the political balance develops.

The presence of Khaled Haftar and Qassem Haftar at Wednesday’s meeting also underscored the broader institutional and economic dimensions of the eastern camp’s relationship with Egypt. Haftar’s network is seeking to consolidate not only military influence but also political and reconstruction structures across territory under its control.

Yet the fundamental challenge remains unchanged: Libya still lacks unified political and security institutions capable of commanding national legitimacy.

The United Nations continues to promote a political process intended to lead towards elections and institutional reunification, but disagreements among Libya’s rival authorities and competing regional interests have repeatedly delayed progress.

For Haftar, the priority is likely to ensure that eastern Libya’s military and political weight translates into a meaningful role in whatever settlement eventually emerges.

For Egypt, the priority is to prevent developments on its western border from being shaped without Cairo’s involvement.

Wednesday’s meeting therefore fits into a broader effort by Egypt to position itself as an indispensable regional actor in Libya’s next political phase. By maintaining direct contact with both Haftar and Dbeibah, Cairo is keeping open its options as the balance between Libya’s rival camps evolves.

The central question is whether that balancing strategy can help produce a unified Libya, or merely ensure that Egypt remains influential in a divided one.