Libya’s newly formed unity government on Thursday demanded immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries in a bid to stabilize the country ahead of year-end elections, reported CGTN Africa. The call for the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries was backed by the visiting top diplomats of France, Germany and Italy.
“We demand that all mercenaries leave the Libyan lands immediately,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Najla al Mangoush during a press conference in the capital Tripoli in the presence of her foreign counterparts.
The three European ministers reached Libya to show support for the newly formed Government of National Unity (GNU).
Libya plummeted into chaos back in 2011 when a NATO-backed uprising led to the ousting of death of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi, resulting in several forces fighting to gain power.
The fighting, which began in 2019 when warlord Khalifa Haftar’s forces tried to topple the Tripoli-based internationally recognized government, came to a halt last year when a formal ceasefire was announced in October. The ceasefire was followed by the establishment of a unity government. Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh was sworn in by the Libyan Parliament on March 15.
It is estimated that about 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries are currently in Libya. Their presence is seen as a threat to the UN-backed transition leading to December 24 elections.
The Libyan foreign minister expressed the need to rebuild confidence in the country’s new economic movement at the governmental and private levels. She said there is an urgent need to accelerate the return of the activities of embassies and facilitate the procedure of visas from Libya.
France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian came out in support of al-Mangoush saying that the departure of the foreign mercenaries is essential for Libya to assert its sovereignty.
Italy’s Luigi Di Maio said his country and Europe are convinced that there can be no military solution to the Libyan crisis.
