United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday reiterated his call for the withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya, reported Yahoo News.
He said the foreign troops continue to operate throughout the conflict-stricken Libya in violation of last October’s ceasefire agreement with no discernible stopping of their activities.
The UN chief also urged countries that are supplying arms and other military equipment to the foreign militants to cease violating the UN arms embargo. He said the movement of aircraft providing logistical support to the troops continues at air bases in central Libya in Sirte and the nearby Jufra area.
In a report presented to the UN Security Council on Friday, Guterres called for the implementation of a comprehensive plan for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya, with clear timelines.
He went on to urge all Libyan parties to exert every effort to ensure that parliamentary and presidential elections are held as planned on Dec. 24 in accordance with the political road map that ended hostilities last year.
Libya continues to plunge into chaos since the ousting of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi by a NATO-backed uprising in 2011. The uprising split the country into two groups- a U.N.-supported government in Tripoli, and rival authorities loyal to Commander Khalifa Hafter in the east. Each of the groups has support from different armed groups and foreign governments.
Hafter launched a military offensive in 2019 to capture the capital, Tripoli, with backing from Egypt, France, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. But Haftar lost the war in June 2020 after Turkey sent troops to support the federal government, which also had the backing of Qatar and Italy.
While UN-sponsored peace talks brought about a cease-fire last October and installed an interim government in the North African country, but the Libyan parliament has so far failed to agree on a legal framework to hold elections.
The U.N. chief urged the parties and institutions to clear the constitutional basis for the December elections and to adopt the necessary electoral laws.
