Libyan speaker urges exit of foreign forces

CAIRO - 21 August 2020: Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives Aquila Saleh on Friday urges the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libyan territory.

In statements, Saleh also called for the unification of institutions in the Libyan government, with the participation of all regions in power.

He urged the international community to punishTurkey and oblige it to remove its forces from Libya.

The Libyan speaker expected the elections to be held on time, as the only way to put an end to the country's crisis. If the elections are not held, the country may return to chaos, he warned. 

In July, Libya’s interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh has called on all Libyan political parties to make concessions to render the election process a success and prioritize Libya's interests over personal demands.

Since the outbreak of the Libyan crisis nine years ago, Egypt has consistently advocated the need for a comprehensive approach to end the Libyan crisis by dealing with all of its political, economic and social dimensions and not being limited to the security dimension.

Libya lives a glimmer of hope to get out of the dark tunnel it has been going through for years, he added. 

On March 16, power was handed over from the former presidential council to the new one, and from the 2014 Government of National Accord (GNA) to the GNU, which is supposed to pave the way for holding elections on December 24.

On March 15, the GNU members and prime minister took the oath of office before the Tobruk-based House of Representatives.

The new Chair of the Presidential Council is Mohamed Menfi, and the other two members are Mossa Al-Koni, and Abdullah Al-Lafi. Dabiba-Menfi list received the necessary votes in the ballot held by the UN-fostered Libyan National Dialogue Forum on February 6.

The dismantled interim non-elected GNA used to control western Libya and was using militias and mercenaries to hold territories. Simultaneously, central and eastern Libya were under the control of the Libyan National Army (LNA) and the authority of the elected House of Representatives and an interim government it had formed. 

Unlike the GNA, which was based in Tripoli in the west, the GNU is based in Sirte located in central Libya.  

In December, Libyan local media reported that Turkey had transported into Libya HAWK missile batteries and a 3D-Radar, according to Egypt's Youm7.

On July 5, several "unknown aircraft" launched nine strikes against Oqba Bin Nafea Airbase located in Al Watiyah controlled by the Government of National Accord (GNA) and Turkey. The outcome was the destruction of Hawk air defense systems, and a Koral electronic warfare system as well as the killing of a Turkish commander, and six officers as the operations room they were in was hit.

However, Commander of Mobilization at the LNA Khaled al-Mahgoub stated on July 20 that Turkey still uses Oqba bin Nafea airbase in Al Watiyah western the country to bring in military reinforcements.

An Egyptian delegation visited earlier in February the Libyan capital, Tripoli, in order to check on the headquarters of the embassy, and to reiterate three requests that are dismantling militias, eliminating foreign military presence in Libya, and deporting foreign mercenaries.