US calls on Turkey and Russia to ‘withdraw forces from Libya’

“We call on all external parties, to include Russia, Turkey, and the UAE, to respect Libyan sovereignty and immediately cease all military intervention in Libya,” says Mills, the acting US ambassador to the United Nations (UN).

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US calls on Turkey and Russia to ‘withdraw forces from Libya’

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA) - Archive

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Acting Ambassador of the United States (US) to the United Nations (UN) Richard Mills has called on Turkey and Russia to immediately initiate the withdrawal of their forces from Libya.

In his remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Libya yesterday (January 28), Mills said, "We believe the Libyan nationwide ceasefire agreement that was signed in October remains the foundation for sustainable progress on the security, political, and economic tracks."

Noting that "the Libyans called for the removal of all foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya within three months of the signing of the agreement," Ambassador Mills stated, "That period, as we have heard, expired last week, and the external actors who have militarily intervened in this conflict have wholly, completely, ignored Libyan demands."

'Respect Libyan sovereignty'

Calling on all "external parties", Mills said:

"We call on all external parties, to include Russia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to respect Libyan sovereignty and immediately cease all military intervention in Libya.

"Per the October ceasefire agreement, we call on Turkey and Russia to immediately initiate the withdrawal of their forces from the country and the removal of the foreign mercenaries and military proxies that they have recruited, financed, deployed, and supported in Libya."

Concluding his statement, Mills reiterated that "an inclusive, negotiated political solution is the only means to end the conflict and validation."

Williams: Blatant foreign interference continues

Acting Special Representative of the Secretary General for Libya Stephanie Williams also gave a briefing about the latest situation in the country.

"This month marks one year since Chancellor Merkel of Germany and the Secretary-General convened the Berlin Conference on January 19, 2020," Williams reminded the audience and underlined that the conference had not achieved the intended aim:

"The Conference did not put an immediate end to the conflict and the suffering of the Libyan people. Nor did foreign support to the warring parties relent and indeed, this blatant foreign interference continues.

"Libyans are keen to turn the page, to reclaim Libyan sovereignty and ownership of their destiny as a people after many years of relentless armed conflict, societal fragmentation, and crippling institutional division."

"This rejuvenation of Libyan patriotism must be sustained, harnessed, and supported by this Council to open a new path for Libya towards democracy, respect for human rights, accountability and justice under the rule of law."

Briefly on the situation in Libya

Since the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, two seats of power have emerged in Libya: One in eastern Libya, the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar, and the other in Tripoli, which enjoys UN and international recognition, the Government of National Accord (GNA).

The government and western parts of the country have been under attack by Haftar's forces since April 2019, with over 1,000 killed.

On November 27, 2019, Ankara and Tripoli reached two separate memorandums of understanding (MoU), one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Following the military cooperation deal, President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Ankara might consider sending troops to Libya if the Tripoli government made such a request.

Having convened to discuss a motion on military deployment to Libya in early January 2020, the General Assembly of the Parliament of Turkey has passed the motion by a vote of 325 against 184.

In the statement issued after the meeting of the National Security Council on June 2, it was announced that "the military consultancy services provided by Turkey to Libya's United Nations (UN)-recognized legitimate government, which endeavors to protect Libya's political unity and territorial integrity and to ensure peace and tranquility across the country, will be continued."

"The international community is called on to take a principled stance against shady groups, which usurp the will of Libyan people and target Libya's legitimate government," the statement read further.

(EKN/SD)