Libya’s Brotherhood opposes exit of foreign mercenaries

Ahmed Adel

The Muslim Brotherhood puts its full weight behind the mercenaries operating in Libya so that they can give a hard time to the Libyan government in Tripoli now.

On April 23, Muslim Brotherhood senior member Khaled al-Meshri lashed out at his country’s foreign minister Najla Mangoush for calling for the exit of all foreign troops, including mercenaries, from Libya.

Meshri, the head of the Supreme State Council, said the presence of foreign mercenaries in Libya is unacceptable.

However, everybody has to realize the difference between mercenaries and foreign troops that are present in Libya in the light of agreements signed with Turkey, he wrote in a statement.

He renewed his call for maintaining the presence of Turkish troops and Syrian mercenaries.

These troops and these mercenaries are present in Libya in a legitimate manner, he added.

Meshri said the same thing during a his recent meeting with the foreign minister of France in Nigeria. Nonetheless, his remarks were rejected by Paris.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood in Libya officially declared its rejection of the exit of Turkey’s mercenaries from Libya.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s party, Justice and Construction, said Mangoush’s demand that foreign troops and mercenaries get out of Libya is strange.

The party said these troops are present in Libya to back its stability and in line with official agreements with the Libyan state.

These troops are not mercenaries, the party said.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s party even said the Libyan government does not have any jurisdiction to demand the exit of foreign troops or revoke any agreements.