Egyptian Build-Up

In previous weeks we have mentioned the Egyptian build-up on the Libyan border. Today, President Sisi inspected Egyptian army units at the Sidi Barani military base, near the border with Libya (pictured below). President Sisi stated that Egypt “has a legitimate right to intervene in neighboring Libya,” and ordered the Egyptian military to be ready to carry out any mission outside of Egypt. President Sisi also stated that Egypt will train and arm the Libyan tribes.e

It seems the Egyptian red line is Sirte and the Jufra airbase. Both are still under LNA control. The GNA tried to capture Sirte a couple weeks ago but failed. If the GNA captures Sirte or the Jufra airbase, that seems to be the trigger for direct Egyptian military intervention in Libya.

The heightened readiness of the Egyptian military is also due to rising tensions with Ethiopia. Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia are currently in a dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.