Merkel stresses to Menfi Need for Foreign Forces, Mercenaries to Quit Libya

Arab World

October 2nd, 6:10am

Berlin – Raghida Bahnam

Merkel and Menfi hold a press conference in Berlin on October 1, 2021. (Reuters)

Outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed on Friday that Libya will remain a top priority for her country after she leaves office. Merkel held talks in Berlin on Friday with head of the Libyan Presidential Council Mohamed al-Menfi. She underscored the need for foreign forces and mercenaries to withdraw from Libya before the December 24 elections. The future of Libya must be decided by the Libyans without foreign influence and a lot is left to be done before the polls, she noted. Moreover, Merkel said the pullout of foreign forces must be backed with bolstering the Libyan economy in order to restore stability in the country. For his part, Menfi pledged to complete the necessary preparations to hold the elections and based on the Berlin 2 conference decisions. Before meeting with Menfi, Merkel had stressed the need for the implementation of the decisions of the conference that she hosted in June. Days earlier, Merkel had held telephone talks with head of the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdulhamid Dbeibeh. She confirmed to him that Germany will continue its efforts to resolve the crisis in Libya, while urging the need for the pullout of foreign forces and mercenaries before the elections. The Berlin 2 conference, in which 20 countries took part, stressed the need for the elections to be held in December, the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries, consolidating the ceasefire, unifying the military and ending foreign meddling in Libya. At the time, Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush said the foreign forces will be pulling out “within days” and yet, three months later, very few fighters have left the country.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3221711/merkel-stresses-menfi-need-foreign-forces-mercenaries-quit-libya