Former US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, David Schenker has said that there is a real opportunity to resolve the Libyan crisis, but the issue of mercenaries and foreign fighters remained a major obstacle.
Schenker said in a statement to Al Arabiya News on Tuesday, “I believe that we are witnessing the best situation in Libya for a very long time, and it is promising, but it is too early to be optimistic.”
“We are facing the dilemma of foreign militias, and in my opinion, this is the biggest challenge facing the international community,” he added.
Notably, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that Turkey has transferred more than 18,000 mercenaries from Syria to western Libya; with former IS and Al-Qaeda fighters among them. It noted that about 8,000 mercenaries remained with the outgoing Government of National Accord (GNA).