UN Security Council calls for foreign forces, mercenaries to leave Libya

NEW YORK, USA

The UN Security Council has unanimously passed a resolution which calls for all foreign forces and mercenaries to leave Libya and gives the green light for a UN team to monitor last October’s historic ceasefire agreement.

In a second vote announced on Friday afternoon in New York, ambassadors also passed a resolution unanimously, renewing measures relating to the illicit export of petroleum, through to 30 July, 2022.

The UN-brokered agreement last year was signed by military representatives of the internationally recognized Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), and rival administration of the so-called Libyan National Army (LNA), based in eastern Libya.

The permanent ceasefire agreement also called for the setting up of a monitoring mechanism to implement it, and details were fleshed out in 29 December proposals, submitted by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, as requested by the Council.

In February, the Council sent a letter to the Secretary General requesting an advance team be deployed in anticipation of the new team being formed, under the umbrella of the UN Support Mission,UNSMIL and asking for a report back on the team’s work.

That report was submitted to the Council last month, and the UN chief proposed last week a phased deployment for the UNSMIL ceasefire monitoring team, which would require an initial maximum of around 60 personnel, according to details relayed to correspondents in New York at Thursday’s regular press briefing.

"They would be deployed to Sirte once all of the requirements for a permanent presence have been met, including, obviously, security, logistical, medical and operational aspects”, said Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric.

The monitoring mechanism resolution 2570, also “strongly urges” States to support the October ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, “without delay”.

Briefing journalists just before the results of voting were disclosed in the Council, Mr. Dujarric said that the UN was committed to “helping the political leaders of Libya”, noting that “what we want to see, is all foreign fighters leave Libya.”