African Union regrets 'external interference' in Libya

The Committee expressed its deep concern over continued external interference in Libya.

NIAMEY (AFP) - The African Union s High Level Committee on Libya has expressed concern at "outside interference" in the besieged country and proposed the creation of a special joint UN and AU envoy.

"The Committee expressed its deep concern over continued external interference in Libya s internal affairs, motivated by selfish interests, which continues to undermine efforts to establish a permanent and unconditional ceasefire," the Committee said in a text following a weekend AU summit in Niger, according to meeting minutes seen Wednesday by AFP.

The Committee "proposed the appointment of a Joint Special Envoy of the AU and the United Nations to strengthen the coordination of efforts between the two organisations, on the basis of a single road map", the document said.

It added the envoy would provide "unified support to Libyan peace efforts".

African delegations and media had been waiting for a statement following the weekend AU summit in the Nigerien capital Niamey.

The absence of one had been widely taken as fueling doubts the leaders would be able to agree on a unified position over the Libyan crisis.

AU diplomatic sources said the meeting was particularly "tense", with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi -- the AU s current president -- reluctant to participate in talks, leaving his Foreign Minister Sameh Choukri to represent Egypt.

The nomination of a joint envoy to aid UN support mission head for Libya, Ghassan Salame, had been discussed prior to the Niamey summit, a diplomatic source said.

The sources said the talks  conclusions would have to be signed off by all parties before being publicly released.