Acting German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for the withdrawal of foreign military personnel and mercenaries from private military companies from Libya as soon as possible. She welcomed the fact that 300 mercenaries would soon leave Libya and that neighboring countries were “taking on the role of flagships” in this matter. But the withdrawal of foreign forces should not remain only on paper, Merkel said at the end of the International Conference on Libya, held in Paris on Friday, November 12. The forum was also attended by US Vice President Kamala Harris, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and representatives of Libya’s neighboring countries. UN Secretary General António Guterres participated in the video conference.
Macron’s appeal to Turkey and Russia
French President Emmanuel Macron made a similar statement. He called on Turkey and Russia to “immediately” withdraw their soldiers and mercenaries from the North African country. Their presence threatens the stability and security of the country and the entire region, “Macron said and said that in the coming days he intends to hold a conversation on this topic with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Libya needs free elections
In addition, the participants in the Paris forum called for free, fair and credible parliamentary and presidential elections in Libya on December 24. They called for the results of both elections to be announced simultaneously, and the transfer of power from the interim government to the new one should take place without delay, “to avoid a power vacuum.” “Anyone who tries to disrupt elections and political transition, whether Libyans or foreign nationals, will be subject to UN Security Council sanctions,” the final statement said.
Libyan interim Prime Minister Abdel Hamid Dbeybakh called the organization of the elections “a historic goal.” “We will do our best to achieve this,” he said.
Angela Merkel emphasized that Germany is ready to train the participants of the Libyan monitoring mission, which is monitoring the ceasefire. As noted by the German politician, this conference should demonstrate that “we are not indifferent to what is happening in Libya.” It is important for Libyans to determine their own future, she said.
Meanwhile, observers believe that the December 24 vote is unlikely to be held, given the continuing tension between the former parties to the conflict. The Libyan parliament has already spoken out in favor of postponing the parliamentary elections to January.
Emmanuel Macron called a step forward that the interim head of the Libyan government Dbeibah and the head of the Presidential Council, Mohammad al-Menfi, were co-chairs of the conference in Paris. Al-Menfi, in turn, described the withdrawal of the first 300 mercenaries as a success. “We hope that this conclusion will be the first step and that we can encourage others to do the same,” he stressed.
Conflict in Libya
In 2011, chaos reigned in Libya after the overthrow of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. In Tripoli, a government of national unity was formed headed by Faiz al-Sarraj, which received UN recognition, but controlled only a smaller part of the country. At the same time, in the east of the country, in Tobruk, there was a unicameral parliament – the House of Representatives.
Most of the eastern regions of Libya were controlled by the formations of Gaddafi’s ex-ally, General Khalifa Haftar. In April 2019, he launched an offensive against Tripoli. Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Russia were behind Haftar. Turkey, for its part, supported the government in Tripoli.
However, in October 2020, the parties to the Libyan conflict signed a permanent ceasefire agreement. On February 5, representatives of the parties to the conflict in Libya elected a transitional government at the Geneva Forum mediated by the UN. On March 10, in Sirte, the Libyan parliament approved this composition of the Cabinet, which should lead the country until the elections scheduled for December 24.
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