Libya's top diplomat on Monday called for the departure of foreign forces and mercenaries from the North African country as it heads toward elections later this year. Najla al-Manqoush, the foreign minister of Libya's interim government, made the appeal during a news conference with her Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, in Tripoli. She urged Turkey to implement UN Security Council resolutions demanding the repatriation of more than 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya. Each side was backed by an array of local militias as well as regional and foreign powers. Security Council diplomats say there are more than 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya, including 13,000 Syrians and 11,000 Sudanese, along with Russians and Chadians.

Source: The North Africa Journal May 04, 2021 08:37 UTC