Countries neighboring Libya meet in Algeria to strengthen truce: Egyptian officials joined representatives from Tunisia, Chad, Niger, Sudan and Mali, as well as the German foreign minister, for a meeting in Algeria last week, intended to strengthen a fragile truce agreed between rival Libyan factions, according to Reuters. Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), led by Prime Minister Fayez Al Serraj, is backed by Turkey, Italy, and Germany, while eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar is backed by Egypt, Russia, the UAE and France. Escalation of the Libyan conflict has alarmed neighboring countries, who fear it may fuel armed militant groups operating in the Sahel and spur a new refugee crisis.

Egypt accuses Turkey of causing confusion in Libya: Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry called for all parties to abide by the outcomes of last Sunday’s Berlin conference, during which 12 countries pledged to end interference in the country’s years’ long civil war, and Haftar and the GNA agreed to further truce talks while maintaining an informal ceasefire on the ground. Shoukry accused Turkey of causing confusion in Libya and that militia active in the country needed to be fought. Turkish President Recep Erdogan said on Friday that military personnel being sent to Libya are supporting and training Serraj’s forces.

Libya’s oil production will fall to its lowest level since the overthrow of Gaddafi, head of the country’s National Oil Company said last week. Haftar’s forces have blocked ports in the east and center of the country, and shut down a pipeline connecting the country’s largest oil field to the coast. NOC Chairman Moustafa Sanalla said that the country’s production had already fallen to 400k bbl/d from 1.3 mn, and warned that it fall further still to 72k bbl/d “within days.”