Macron pushes Libya ceasefire with Egypt leader

Amid increasing tensions between Libya's Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and strongman Khalifa Haftar

PARIS: France's President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday about the situation in Libya calling for a ceasefire "very soon" between the warring sides, the French presidency said.

Macron and Sisi discussed Libya "with the aim of backing the United Nations' plan for a ceasefire very soon and a renewed dialogue" between Libya's Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and strongman Khalifa Haftar, the presidency said.

UN envoy Ghassan Salame has proposed a ceasefire for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which starts around August 11, and has called for relaunching negotiations.

UN calls for Libya ceasefire as death toll climbs to 1,000

Nearly 1,100 people have been reported killed since Haftar, based in eastern Libya, launched an offensive against the capital Tripoli on April 4.

Paris has been seeking to position itself as a mediator in the Libyan crisis, fearing its destabilising effects on the Sahel region of Africa.

Egypt, a key backer of Haftar, is concerned about the conflict as it has a long border with Libya.

The European Union on Friday also called for Libya's warring sides to establish a permanent truce and return to UN-led talks to prepare for quick elections.