Member of Libya’s 5 + 5 Joint Military Committee (JMC) for the General Command of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Lieutenant General Al-Hadi Al-Fallah confirmed that they are working on dismantling armed groups in the west of the country.
In press statements, Al-Fallah praised the support provided by the LNA Commander-in-Chief, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar for the success of the committee’s work.
Al-Fallah also praised the efforts of the LNA in equipping the JMC headquarters in the city of Sirte. He pointed out that “all the meetings held in the city were with the full support of the armed forces, in order to unify ranks and bring the country to safety.”
He stressed the need to freeze international agreements, especially concerning the expulsion of all mercenaries and foreign fighters. He added that the Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba “thwarted this by signing a new agreement with Turkey, which impeded reaching a political decision regarding the process of expelling foreign militants from Libya.”
Al-Fallah pointed out that “the mission of international observers in Libya will be limited to following up on the removal of foreign forces from the country, under the direct supervision of members of the JMC.” He pointed out that the JMC’s work at the present time is “based on dismantling and disarming the armed groups in the west of the country.” He confirmed that a meeting will be held in mid-January in Sirte, to set up a secure mechanism for this issue.
Libya has been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammer Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Prime Minister Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.