Friday November 12th 2021
Chancellor Merkel in Paris
Libya conference wants to banish mercenaries
At the invitation of the French President, the international community is preparing an early election in Libya. Chancellor Merkel is also part of the party. However, the heads of state who are destabilizing the country with mercenary troops are missing in Paris: Erdogan and Putin.
Numerous heads of state and government met in Paris for a conference on Libya at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. Chancellor Angela Merkel is co-chair. Ten years after the fall of Libyan ruler Muammar al-Gaddafi, the international community is pushing for presidential elections in December and the withdrawal of foreign soldiers and mercenaries.
Despite a ceasefire signed in October, jihadist groups, Turkish soldiers, foreign fighters from Chad, Sudan and Syria, as well as the Russian mercenary troop Wagner, are still present in the oil-rich country.
In the country marked by years of civil war, the first direct presidential election is to take place on December 24th. However, due to the ongoing tensions, it could be postponed, like the parliamentary elections, which were originally scheduled for the same day and are now scheduled for January. The aim of the conference is “to give a common impetus for the elections,” it said from the Élysée Palace.
“Libyans want the withdrawal of foreign mercenaries”
Another key issue is the presence of foreign mercenaries and soldiers in Libya. “The good news is that the Libyans themselves want the mercenaries to withdraw,” said the Elysée Palace. According to French estimates, there are several thousand foreign fighters on both sides of the conflicting parties in Libya.
US Vice President Kamala Harris is also attending the conference. In addition to France and Germany, Italy and the United Nations are co-chairs. The neighboring countries Tunisia, Algeria, Niger and Chad and other countries are also invited. From the Libyan side, interim Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah and the Chairman of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Junes Menfi, are taking part.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin are absent. Both countries have been criticized for their military presence in Libya.