Libya's Elections, Removal of Foreign Forces Main Focus at Berlin Talks

Germany and the United Nations brought together representatives of Libya with powers that have interests in the country at a conference aiming to secure elections in the North African nation and remove foreign fighters.

Speaking at the talks among foreign powers seeking to aid a political solution to the conflict, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said that Germany "will not falter" in its pursuit of ridding Libya of foreign mercenaries but warned that a military imbalance could be created if one side withdrew its mercenaries faster than the other.

Earlier in the day, Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh called on the international community to take Libya seriously and to respect its sovereignty.

He also promised to stop at nothing to ensure national elections, set for December 24, go ahead.

Standing alongside him, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Libya must hold its planned elections. "We share the goal of a sovereign, stable, unified and secure Libya, free from foreign interference," he added. A ceasefire agreement from October last year "has to be fully implemented including by withdrawing all foreign forces," Blinken said.

He added that Libya had its best opportunity in years to move forward as a safe and sovereign country.

“We share the goal of a sovereign, stable, unified, secure Libya, free from foreign interference,” he said. “It’s what the people of Libya deserve, it’s critical to regional security as well."

Participants welcomed progress since the process was launched. An October cease-fire agreement including a demand that all foreign fighters and mercenaries leave Libya within 90 days led to a deal on the elections in December and the transitional government that took office in February.

Libyan Foreign Minister Najla Mangoush said the transitional government came "with a vision of how best to re-establish stability in our country and pave the way for free, inclusive and safe elections on Dec. 24.''

Wednesday's conference saw powers involved in Libya recommit to refraining from interfering in the country's internal affairs and stating that foreign forces and mercenaries need to be withdrawn "without delay'' _ something on which there has been little progress.

Asked what guarantees the countries involved are giving to withdraw foreign fighters, Maas pointed to the fact that they had gathered for the conference. He said that "we will not let up, and we will not rest, until the last foreign forces have left Libya ... wherever they come from."

He said Russia and Turkey, which have been heavily involved on opposite sides, understand that a withdrawal would have to be carried out ``step by step'' and added that it would have to be balanced, so that one side doesn't gain an advantage.

Mangoush said there was "progress'' regarding mercenaries, "so hopefully within the coming days mercenaries from both sides are going to be withdrawn,'' creating more trust and leading to further steps.

A further challenge will be to start bringing all armed groups in Libya under a joint military command.

Speaking earlier Wednesday ahead of the conference, Blinken said that ``we share the goal of a sovereign, stable, unified, secure Libya free from foreign interference _ it's what the people of Libya deserve, it's critical to regional security as well.''

"For that to happen, national elections need to go forward in December and that means urgent agreement is needed on constitutional and legal issues that would undergird those elections,'' he said. "And the Oct. 23 cease-fire agreement has to be fully implemented, including by withdrawing all foreign forces from Libya.''

Conference participants supported efforts toward a reconciliation process and committed to helping Libyan authorities "in developing a comprehensive approach to addressing migration,'' including the closure of detention centers.

Aid group Doctors Without Borders said this week it was suspending its activities in two detention centers in Tripoli after "repeated incidents of violence toward refugees and migrants held there.'' It said staff had witnessed guards beating detainees at one center and received reports of people being shot at in another.

Libya has been a key transit country for migrants from Africa trying to reach Europe, especially after the collapse of order when a NATO-backed uprising toppled and later killed longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich country was long pided between a  government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the country's east.

In April 2019, Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) forces launched an offensive to try to capture Tripoli. Hafter's 14-month campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the Tripoli-based government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.