Egypt’s military ruler in high-profile Libya visit
Source: The Financial Times
Egypt’s military ruler arrived in the Libyan capital on Monday in a visit that underscored the army’s continued power in Cairo as well as the significance of the oil-rich Libya in North Africa’s economic future.
The septuagenarian Field-Marshal Mohammad-Hussein Tantawi, who heads Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, arrived in Tripoli in full military uniform to an ostentatious welcome broadcast live on Libyan state television. He was welcomed by Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of Libya’s National Transitional Council.
Many Egyptians and international observers fear Field-Marshal Tantawi and his entourage of high-ranking officers are seeking to cement their grip on power and their international stature after taking over as interim authority following a popular uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak last year.
However, pressing economic concerns were seen as the main impetus for the visit. Both Egypt and Libya, as well as the North African nation of Tunisia, overthrew longtime autocrats last year in a series of revolutions that came to be known as the Arab Spring. The uprisings ushered in a new era of pluralistic politics but also severely weakened the countries’ economies.
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