Sisi says Britain, other NATO members must do more in Libya

Britain and other NATO members involved in toppling Muammar Gaddafi must do more to help prevent the spread of Islamist extremism in Libya, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told the Daily Telegraph newspaper ahead of a visit to London Thursday.

Britain took part in 2011 air strikes in Libya, which is now caught up in a conflict between two rival governments and their armed factions, leaving a security vacuum that has allowed Islamic State militants to gain ground.

“It was a mission that was not completely accomplished … Libya was left without the leadership when it needed our help most. Now we have the situation where the will of the Libyan people is being held hostage by militant groups,” Sisi, who is due to begin a visit to Britain on Wednesday, told the paper.

“We need to stop the flow of funds and weapons and foreign fighters to the extremists. All the members of NATO, including Britain, who took part in the mission to overthrow Gaddafi need to give their help.”

Sisi said more also needed to be done to tackle the spread of Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

“The map of extremism and instability is expanding and not retreating. We need to reassess our priorities,” he said.

Source: Reuters