Libya summons French ambassador to protest against military intervention

The head of Libya’s national unity government, Fayez Sarraj, has summoned French Ambassador Antoine Sivan to protest against France’s military deployment in the country.

In a statement, Sarraj’s office said the prime minister demanded the French government provide an explanation for the presence of its troop in the region.

Sivan, who resides in Tunisia due to the security situation in Libya, was called to meet with Sarraj in Nouakchott on Monday on the sidelines of the Arab League summit.

According to the statement, Sarraj considered the French deployment “a violation of international norms and an unacceptable interference in the affairs of a sovereign state which builds its relations with countries on the basis of mutual respect and non-interference.”

The French ambassador stressed that “Paris’s position is clear and in full support of the national unity government and will provide a formal letter to explain the circumstances of the incident.”