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MOSCOW--Russias top diplomat assured his Libyan counterpart Thursday that Moscow supports the withdrawal of all foreign fighters from the North African country and is prepared to help work out the details with other countries.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after the talks in Moscow with Najla Mangoush that the Libyan leadership is forming a consultative mechanism to formulate the concrete parametres under which the foreign forces will leave.

Russia was among the foreign powers backing the warring sides in Libyas conflict, with some officials and media reports alleging that Russian private military contractors from the Kremlin-connected Wagner Group took part in the fighting.

We will be prepared to constructively take part in this work alongside other countries, Lavrov told a press conference.

The Libyan foreign minister said her government considers the issue of withdrawing foreign fighters important and a priority, but stressed that it should be done gradually and in a synchronised manner.

Thats why working out implementation mechanisms is necessary, Mangoush said. Such decisions are aimed to avoid repeating (the) negative lessons of some of our neighbours, to avoid an ill-considered withdrawal of troops and to avoid sliding into chaos, so that the national security of Libya doesnt suffer in the end.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime ruler Muammar Gadhafi in 2011 and split the country between a government in the capital, Tripoli and rival authorities loyal to Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), in the east. Each was backed by different armed groups and foreign governments.

In April 2019, Haftar launched a military offensive to capture the capital. His campaign was backed by Egypt, Russia and France, while his rivals had the support of Turkey, Qatar and Italy.

Turkey, in particular, brought in military personnel and equipment as well as thousands of mercenaries from Syria.

Haftars march on Tripoli ultimately failed in June 2020. Subsequent UN-sponsored peace talks brought about a ceasefire and installed an interim government that is expected to lead the country into general elections in December.

Mangoush stressed that the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign forces requires that we look at it in a realistic way, as the withdrawal must be regulated, pondered and in stages.

She also expressed her appreciation for the Russian efforts to support the Government of National Unity, lauding Russias positive role in launching ceasefire initiative in January 2020 and encouraging Libyans to sit together at the negotiating table.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin previously said that Moscow is not conducting negotiations about the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries from Libya, whether with Turkey or with any other country, as the Libyans themselves must resolve this problem, but if this process is launched, foreign fighters must simultaneously leave the country.

Last Saturday, the Libyan Joint Military Committee 5+5 (JMC) announced that it had agreed on a set of points, during the seventh round of negotiations in a meeting in coastal city of Sirte.

The JMCs final statement said that specific measures and an urgent plan had been agreed upon to remove all mercenaries and foreign elements from Libyan territory.

Last Sunday, the Libyan High Council of State expressed its rejection of the request by the JMC to freeze the security agreements signed by the previous Government of National Accord (GNA) with Turkey, calling on the committee to keep away from political issues or international agreements.

Ankara has up to now refused to consider the departure of its military personnel and mercenaries claiming they are covered by bilateral agreements with Libya. On November 27, 2019, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Chairman of the Presidential Council of the former Libyan Government of National Accord, Fayez al-Sarraj, had signed two memoranda of understanding covering security cooperation and maritime areas.

The deal proved highly controversial in the region and politically prolarising in Libya.

The UN estimated in December that there were at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya, including Syrians, Russians, Sudanese and Chadians.

Last month, UN Special Envoy to Libya Jan Kubis said that factions starting the withdrawal of all foreign fighters from the country would be a major step for Libya.

Originally posted here:
Are Russia's Wagner mercenaries in Libya on the way out? | | AW - The Arab Weekly