Pompeo meets Egyptian President, expresses outrage over 'pointless, tragic' death of US citizen in Egypt

US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo on Sunday (local time) met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the margins of the Berlin Summit and expressed outrage over the "pointless and tragic death" of detained US citizen Moustafa Kassem in Egypt.

"Met with President Sisi today and addressed the pointless and tragic death of detained U.S. citizen Moustafa Kassem in Egypt. On #Libya, President Sisi and I agreed on the urgent need for a return to a @UN-facilitated political process and a ceasefire," Pompeo tweeted.

A state department spokesperson said Pompeo met today with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on the margins of the Berlin Summit.

"Secretary Pompeo expressed outrage over the pointless and tragic death of detained U.S. citizen Moustafa Kassem in Egypt," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Kassem (54), was detained in August 2013 in Cairo while visiting his family, and once begged for President Donald Trump's help, died Monday of heart failure during a hunger strike after more than six years in an Egyptian prison, according to a CNN report.

The statement informed that on Libya, the Secretary and President El-Sisi agreed on the urgent need for a lasting ceasefire and a return to a UN-facilitated political process.

"Secretary Pompeo emphasised the destabilising impact of foreign interference in Libya," the statement added.

The Berlin conference is the latest international effort to end the nine months of fighting between Haftar's forces based in the east of Libya and the UN-recognised government in Tripoli.

The talks in Berlin come as world powers step up efforts for a lasting ceasefire since Haftar's assault on Tripoli in April last year sparked fighting that has killed more than 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters, displacing thousands.