Intense diplomatic moves on Libya entrench priority of dialogue, exclusion of military solution

Fatima Abdul Ghani

Active diplomatic moves regarding Libya has established consensus on the priority of dialogue and the exclusion of a military solution. Egypt has intensified its communications with Italy, Greece, Malta and other European officials and noted the seriousness of the current situation, especially in light of the irresponsible escalation by transporting militants and terrorists to Libya with the aim of destabilizing the region and targeting Arab countries and their national security.

Cairo affirmed, and the Arab League agreed with it, that the desired road map for stability and security in Libya is embodied by working hard towards a ceasefire and achieving a negotiated political solution between Libya’s parties, pointing out that this requires solidarity in order to undermine illegal foreign interference, which further exacerbates the security situation in a way that affects the stability of the entire region.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry warned of the danger of the current situation in Libya during a series of phone calls with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Maltese Foreign Minister Evarist Bartolo.

The Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted Shoukry as saying that the desired stability and security in Libya will be achieved only by working in earnest towards a ceasefire and achieving a Libyan-Libyan political solution through negotiations, which paves the way to the Cairo Declaration as an important step towards completing the political path of the Berlin Summit. He also stressed the need for unity to firmly address all foreign interference in Libya.

Meanwhile, Athens stressed the importance of returning to the political track as the primary solution to the Libyan crisis, in line with the relevant UN resolutions and the outputs of the Berlin Summit, while rejecting any foreign interference in this regard.

In a related development, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell stressed the need to reduce the escalation over Sirte and Al-Jufra in Libya.

“The current shared priorities of the Europeans and the Libyans are to reach a real ceasefire and the immediate resumption of oil production,” Borrell tweeted on Friday, July 24.

On Thursday, the European Union and the United Nations hosted the fourth meeting of the Follow-up Committee of the Berlin Summit, which focused on the need to reduce escalation, resume oil production, and return to political negotiations under the umbrella of the United Nations.

At the same time, Turkey continues to mobilize and transfer Syrian mercenaries to Libya, where the UN sanctions committee announced on Friday that Turkey sent between 7,000 and 15,000 Syrian mercenary fighters to Libya. In a report, the committee added that Libya has turned into a large arms market because of breaches of international arms embargo on the country.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said on Friday that the Turkish government continues to transfer mercenaries from Syrian militias loyal to Ankara to Libyan territory to participate in military operations alongside the Government of National Accord (GNA) militias, while the recent arrival of new batches of militants coincided with the return of other batches to Syria after their contracts in Libya ended.

The Observatory added that the number of mercenaries in Libya has so far increased to about 16,500 Syrians, including 350 children under the age of 18, while about 5,850 of them have returned to Syria after their contracts ended and they received their financial compensation. But the Turkish government continues to transfer new mercenaries to Libya.