Acting US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Joey Hood, has announced that Washington is continuing bilateral talks on the departure of mercenaries and foreign forces from Libya.
He said he cannot reveal the details of these diplomatic talks but that they are “moving in the right direction”.
The ceasefire agreement, signed last October in Geneva, has stalled on the implementation of clauses concerning the opening of the road linking Sirte to Misrata (centre) and the departure of mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libya, despite UN Security Council resolutions and the recommendations of the Berlin II Conference.
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“The Libyan people want to restore their sovereignty and control over their country, and that means the departure of all foreign forces, whether mercenaries or proxy fighters, whatever they are called. Even foreign assistance to Libyan forces must also stop until Libyans determine their fate and the international community can help them,” Hood added on Friday.
Libyan Prime Minister Abdelhamid al-Dbaiba said that “no foreign forces or mercenaries will remain on Libyan territory”, stressing his willingness to “make elections a reality”.
Hood also expressed confidence that the Libyan general elections will be held on 24 December, in line with the agreement of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) and the UN Security Council resolution in this context. “We (in the Security Council) have confirmed the support of the international community and the UN for these elections.”
He said that it is necessary to hold elections because Libyans demand a democratically-elected government that represents the whole population. This is also because the government will be able to unite the army, defend the borders and provide security for the people throughout Libya.
He recalled that US officials met with international parties on several occasions in Berlin and recently at the United Nations to ensure that this happens.
The deadlock between members of the LPDF on the adoption of a constitutional basis for the 24 December elections is threatening the implementation of this national agenda which Libyans unanimously want to happen.
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), which is overseeing the political process, is continuing efforts to reach a consensus with a new round of meetings of the LPDF on Sunday in Italy to try to iron out their differences over the constitutional basis for the elections. (NAN)
