Guterres continues to push for the departure of foreign forces from Libya

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated that the Guterres spoke with both the newly elected head of presidency council Mohamed Al-Menfi and prime minister Abdul Hamid Debaiba.

He said that the Secretary-General congratulated both elected officials on their new appointments and emphasised the importance of ensuring that the new executive authority works towards the holding of national elections on 24 December 2021.

“In his calls, the Secretary-General stressed the UN’s support for Libya’s elections, the monitoring of the ceasefire, and the withdrawal of foreign forces,” Dujarric added, noting that all three agreed on the necessity of foreign troops leaving the country as part of the ceasefire deal.

The United Nations recently estimated that over 20,000 foreign troops remain in Libya distributed over 10 military bases and emphasised the danger of their continued presence that violates a vital provision of the ceasefire agreement signed in October of last year.

The departure of mercenary forces from Libya has been a matter that many international governments and human rights bodies weighed on, with an overwhelming majority calling for the immediate departure of these forces to grant the Libyan people back sovereignty over their country.

The deadline for the departure of foreign forces has come and gone and no moves have been observed on the ground by the troops to depart the North African nation.