TRIPOLI (Al Jazeera) – The UN special envoy for Libya warned the Security Council that progress on the key issue of withdrawing mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libya has stalled and their continued presence is a threat not only to Libya but to the North African region.
Jan Kubis said on Friday recent disturbing events in neighboring Chad, where rebels were blamed for last month’s killing of longtime president Idriss Deby, are a reminder of the link between the security situation in Libya and the security and stability in the region.
“The high mobility of armed groups and terrorists but also economic migrants and refugees, often through channels operated by organized criminal networks and other local players across uncontrolled borders only enhances risks of furthering instability and insecurity in Libya and the region,” he said.
Kubis said the UN mission in Libya, known as UNSMIL, reported “the continuing presence of foreign elements, mercenaries and assets, thus entrenching the division of Libya”.
Libya has been racked by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 and split the oil-rich country between a government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the country’s east, each backed by armed groups and foreign governments.
In April 2019, east-based commander Khalifa Haftar and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His 14-month-long campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its support of the UN-recognized government with advanced military hardware, troops, and thousands of mercenaries.
An October ceasefire led to the formation of a joint interim government, which took power in March, and is tasked with bringing together the divided country and steering it through presidential and parliamentary elections on December 24.