Militia situation in Libya threatens UN road map

Mustafa Kamel

The file of foreign forces and mercenaries has become a top priority in Libya, based on regional and international pressures to remove foreign militants, allowing the imposition of state sovereignty and extending its influence over all of its territories, as European and Western countries have become confused about the issue of militias and mercenaries, which continues to cast a shadow on the Libyan scene and is considered one of the most prominent problems facing the Libyan state at the present time.

The problem of militia proliferation is one of the most prominent problems facing the Libyan state, as the security file represents the most prominent challenge to the Government of National Unity (GNU), and this file represents the key to success for the new government, which will not be able to intervene to solve the daily problems of citizens without securing the situation on the ground. The militia file can only be opened by setting strict laws on carrying weapons to ensure the disappearance of weapons outside the authority of the state.

The file of mercenaries in Libya needs a firm and decisive international decision to restore the bridges of confidence between the various parties to the conflict in Libya, so that some do not find a justification for mercenaries bullying their countrymen, or by adopting a fraudulent conquest on the basis of loyalty to this or that party instead of consecrating the sovereignty of the state and unifying its institutions, in addition to a clear international commitment to expel them from the country, which was emphasized by Major General Khaled al-Mahjoub, director of the Moral Guidance Department in the Libyan National Army (LNA), who made it clear that deporting mercenaries from the country is a decision not in the hands of the 5+5 Military Committee or the Libyan state only, but rather is implemented with the support of the international community, the United Nations, and the countries that sent them.

International pressure to end the crisis

Washington and the European Union are exerting increased pressure on the file of mercenaries in Libya. However, the Europeans’ position appears to be the most firm and insistent on this in light of the consensus of EU members and linking them to providing support to the new Libyan authorities to permanently close the mercenary file. European Council President Charles Michel stressed that there is one precondition for the rebuilding Libya, which is the necessity that all militias and mercenaries leave the country.

Regarding support for Libya, Michel affirmed that they support building Libya, but on condition that the mercenaries leave the country, a position mainly adopted by France, Germany and Greece, and then joined by Italy, whose Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini explained in a joint hearing with the defense committees of the House of Representatives and Senate on Thursday, April 8, that a sensitive political process is taking place in Libya that developed against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire threatened by the presence of foreign mercenaries and militiamen.

Observers confirmed that the European pressure coincides with American pressure, as the latter has become more interested in the Libyan file since the new administration took office. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was decisive in his call with Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dabaiba, expressing the necessity of implementing the ceasefire agreement and removing mercenaries. The US-European coordination in the position on the situation in Libya has become clearer, especially through the five-year joint statement issued by the United States, France, Germany, Italy and Britain, calling for the withdrawal of all mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libya, which represents a firm Western decision that does not exclude the possibility of imposing sanctions on any parties that could disrupt the path to a political solution in the country.

Since the announcement of the UN mission to Libya on February 5 of the formation of the new executive authority in Libya and giving it confidence, the file of foreign mercenaries in Libya has returned to the forefront of events amid international demands to withdraw those elements from Libya and to respect the UN roadmap, which will lead the country to hold parliamentary and presidential elections in December.

The United Nations revealed through Acting Envoy Stephanie Williams in early December 2020 that there are 20,000 foreign and mercenary forces in Libya, considering this a terrible violation of national sovereignty. She also noted that there are ten military bases in Libya that are partially or fully occupied by foreign forces and mercenaries.

Observers see that the real challenge facing the transitional government is to unify the army and security institutions in the country, but others stress the importance of the role of the United Nations and the major powers in sponsoring the new government, stabilizing the ceasefire, and removing militias and mercenaries.

Consensus to withdraw mercenaries

The European-American consensus was reflected in the Security Council, which unanimously adopted a declaration in March calling for the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without further delay, which facilitated the UN mission to move in this direction, through its envoy, Jan Kubis, who spoke on several occasions and expressed the need to expedite the removal of mercenaries from Libya, indicating that their withdrawal will greatly contribute to the restoration of the country’s unity and sovereignty and heal the deep wounds caused by many years of conflict and foreign intervention.

During Dabaiba’s speech at the Libyan House of Representatives session that was held in Sirte to give confidence to his government in March, he called on the mercenary militias in Libya to leave, affirming his intention to communicate with the United Nations with the aim of withdrawing these militias. He noted that the mercenaries are a dagger in the back Libya, adding that they must leave, which requires wisdom and agreement with the countries that sent them.

Many countries, including the United Kingdom, Mexico, Kenya, Niger and France, demanded the complete and irreversible departure of the mercenaries, while ensuring that they would not be deployed in countries neighboring Libya, as diplomats stated that a Security Council resolution is expected to be issued by the United Kingdom that defines the mandate of the monitoring mechanism and gives the green light to activate it.