300-pro-Haftar mercenaries, foreign troops to leave Libya
The announcement, which gave no timeline for their exit, comes on the eve of an international conference in Paris aimed at ensuring Libya sticks to plans to hold elections in December.
The UN estimates that 20,000 mercenaries and foreign fighters are deployed in Libya, including from the Russian private security firm Wagner, as well as from Chad, Sudan and Syria.
A “first group of 300 mercenaries and foreign fighters” are to be repatriated “at the request of France”, representatives of Haftar’s forces said in a statement.
The nationality of the fighters was not specified.
The statement, a copy of which was received by Libyan Express, was released by pro-Haftar delegates to the so-called 5+5 military commission.
How to submit an Op-Ed: Libyan Express accepts opinion articles on a wide range of topics. Submissions may be sent to oped@libyanexpress.com. Please include ‘Op-Ed’ in the subject line.
- Dbeibah defends Tripoli security operation - May 18, 2025
- US embassy in Libya denies reports over Gaza resettlement plans - May 18, 2025
- US officials discussed potential relocation of Palestinians to Libya - May 17, 2025