On Tuesday, the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for all foreign troops and mercenaries to leave Libya immediately, during a telephone call with the newly-elected Presidential Council members.
“Guterres spoke separately with the Head of the Presidency Council, Mohamed Menfi and Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dabiba,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
Guterres congratulated them on their new appointments and, “stressed the importance of ensuring that the new executive authority works towards the holding of national elections on 24 December 2021.”
“In his calls, the Secretary-General stressed the UN’s support for Libya’s elections, the monitoring of the ceasefire, and the withdrawal of foreign forces,” he said. Dujarric added that all three agreed on the necessity of foreign troops leaving the country as part of the ceasefire deal.
In December, the UN estimated that 20,000 foreign troops and mercenaries were deployed inside Libya.
