On Tuesday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) confirmed that the recruitment of mercenaries from Syria to Libya is still ongoing. This is despite international calls for their expulsion from the North African country.
In a statement, SOHR said that the recruitment process was taking place in Idlib, and the northern countryside of Aleppo and Afrin through brokers. Recruits are offered financial incentives with a monthly salary of $400, under the pretext of securing facilities in Libya.
On Saturday, the observatory said that a week had passed since the deadline ended for foreign mercenaries to leave Libya. According to the ceasefire agreement reached on 23 October 2020, all foreign fighters in Libya are to leave the country within 90 days of signing. Yet, thousands remain, supporting both sides of the conflict.
Last week, reliable SOHR sources confirmed that a state of anger is prevailing among the Syrian mercenaries in Libya, as a new batch of them had their repatriation journey to Syria cancelled. This ignited greater discontent among the mercenaries who have already packed up and were ready to return.