The United States on Thursday called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian and Turkish forces from Libya, after a deadline for departure was ignored.
This appeal was a stronger expression of US policy towards oil-rich Libya under the new government of President Joe Biden.
“We call on all external parties to include Russia, Turkey and the UAE, to respect Libyan sovereignty and to immediately cease all military intervention in Libya,” Acting US Ambassador Richard Mills said during a meeting of the UN Security Council said on Libya, which has seen a decade of fighting since the overthrow of Moamer Gaddafi.
Under a UN ceasefire signed on October 23, foreign troops and mercenaries would withdraw from Libya within three months. The deadline passed Saturday without the movement being announced or complied with on the ground.
“According to the ceasefire agreement in October, we call on Turkey and Russia to immediately begin withdrawing their forces from the country and the removal of foreign mercenaries and military proxies they recruited, financed, deployed and supported in Libya. , “Mills said.
The UN estimates that there are about 20,000 foreign troops and mercenaries in Libya who are helping the warring factions: the UN-recognized government of national accord in Tripoli and the military strongman Khalifa Haftar in the east.
According to the UN, Haftar has the support of the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Russia, especially mercenaries from a private group with ties to Vladimir Putin. The GNA is backed by Turkey and Syrian rebels transferred to Libya.
Mercenaries in Libya contain several thousand each from Syria and Sudan and a thousand from Chad, a diplomat said on condition of anonymity.
The statement by Mills set a clearer tone in US policy under Biden. While in power, his predecessor Donald Trump at one point seemed to support Haftar, although the official US policy at the end of his government was that all foreign fighters should leave in line with the UN-backed agreement.
– Russian denial –
Russia denies having military personnel in Libya.
“We have no military personnel or conscripts on Libyan soil. Therefore, there is no Russian military intervention in Libya,” a spokesman for the country’s mission told AFP.
“If there are Russian citizens as mercenaries, who we can not completely exclude, those who hired them should be addressed to withdraw them.”
At Thursday’s council meeting, most members also called for the withdrawal of foreign forces from Libya and respect for an arms embargo that has been in force since 2011.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia did not mention the presence of foreign fighters in his remarks to the council.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for the fighters to leave.
‘It is essential that all foreign troops and all foreign mercenaries first move to Benghazi and Tripoli and from there return and leave the Libyans alone, because the Libyans have already proved that they, left alone, are capable of addressing their problems , “he said.
In a statement unanimously adopted on Thursday by the 15 members of the Security Council – including Russia -, the panel called for the withdrawal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya without further delay. ‘
The UN says the arms embargo is being violated as cargo planes with weapons arrive for the two warring parties.
“This blatant foreign interference continues,” said acting UN envoy Stephanie Williams, noting that a ceasefire was still in place.
The UN-sponsored talks between the two parties in Libya are expected to resume in Geneva in the near future. Libya is expected to hold elections in December.
prh / dw / bgs / acb / caw /