Foreign Mercenaries Expelled… Libyan “5+5” Committee Holds Meeting in Syrte
The Libyan military committee of 5+5 will hold a meeting on Saturday at its headquarters in Syrte to discuss the expulsion of foreign mercenaries.
Libyan military sources close to the committee confirm that the Joint Military Commission 5+5 delegation from the western region and the United Nations delegation arrived Friday evening in Syrte via the east-west coastal road.
In a statement to Al-Ain News, the sources said that the committee will hold its seventh meeting on Saturday at its permanent headquarters to assess the situation after the opening of the coastal road and the following files in the ceasefire agreement, such as the expulsion of troops and foreign mercenaries.
Earlier on Friday, the Libyan Joint Military Commission (JMC), 5+5, announced the reopening of the coastal road linking eastern and western Libya, which has been closed for more than two years.
Big welcome
In the first reaction by the Libyan army, Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the commander-in-chief of the Libyan armed forces, said that the military confirms its response to the decision to open the coastal road.
In a recorded speech broadcast by the General Command of the Libyan Army via its official page on social media, Haftar added that the army is keen that the path of peace remain the strategic option to address the outstanding issues.
The Libyan armed forces “are keen to ensure that the path to a just peace remains the strategic choice to address all outstanding issues and alleviate the suffering of the Libyan people,” the Libyan army chief said.
The UN mission in Libya also welcomed the move, congratulating the Libyans and the parties involved on what it described as a “significant” move.
In a statement, a copy of which was seen by Al Ain News, the UN envoy to Libya, Jan Kubiš, said that in addition to other confidence-building measures achieved so far, such as resuming flights and exchanging detainees, the opening of the coastal road is a “vital step” to further implement the Geneva ceasefire agreement of October 23.
Militia abuses
“Within less than 24 hours of the opening of the coastal road, militia members committed breaches that threatened to block the road, forcing people to drive over a photo of Libyan army chief Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, sparking an angry drive.”
Libya’s Joint Military Commission, 5+5, condemned last Sunday’s events on the “coastal road” and said it will pursue the perpetrators, which was shared by the UN mission.
The committee warned against what it described as “saboteurs, demagogues and proponents of extremist ideas and agendas” who are working to “thwart and destroy” the rise of the nation from its grip and to obstruct the efforts of uniting Libya and relieving the suffering of its people, foremost of which is stopping the fighting between the “brothers”, opening the vital roads, healing the rift, reuniting and tolerance.