The intentions of the parties that particularly interfered in the crisis, such as Turkey, raise doubts about the prospects of success for the ceasefire agreement and the UN agenda as a whole.
The priorities of Libya’s new transitional authorities have become clearer since last Friday’s vote in Switzerland, which produced interim figures who are close to Ankara, including former Libyan Ambassador to Greece Mohammad Younes Menfi, who will serve as head of the presidential council, and Misratan businessman Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, who will head the interim government.
The transitional phase is scheduled to continue until general elections are held next December
In his first speech following his election as head of the interim government, Dbeibah avoided addressing the file of mercenaries and militias operating in Libya.
Dbeibah pledged on Saturday evening to “work to support the role of women and provide an opportunity for young people to contribute to the building of state institutions and inject new blood and competencies.”
He stressed that his government is “keen to fulfill its obligations” towards the organisation of elections scheduled for next December.
International stakeholders supporting various Libyan factions seem intent on imposing the continued presence of mercenaries in the country, especially as Turkey was quick to assert that the new government does not oppose Turkish military presence there, in addition to supporting Ankara’s overall role.
Observers believe that recent understandings reached at the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, which culminated in the election of a new presidential council and interim government, will not end foreign military intervention.
Statements by Yasin Aktay, an adviser to the Turkish president, regarding Ankara’s role in Libya reflected a desire to keep mercenaries in Libya. The 5+5 joint military committee has not yet succeeded in forcing parties involved in the conflict to start withdrawing foreign fighters.
Aktay told Russia’s Sputnik news agency that “the new Libyan government supports Ankara’s role in Libya and does not oppose the Turkish military presence in the country.”
He added that agreements Turkey reached with the previous Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, would not be affected by the new interim government nor Turkish military presence in Libya.
“Turkey is in Libya at the invitation of the Libyan people and the GNA government,” he said. “The new interim government does not oppose these agreements nor the Turkish presence in the country. On the contrary it supports the Turkish role there.”
Aktay added: “The choice of the new government in Libya came after understandings were reached through the well-known dialogue process. Turkey welcomes the choice of the new government and sees it as a positive development as the Libyan people nears establishing stability and strengthening internal dialogue in the country.”
Turkey directly intervened in Libya in support of the GNA by dispatching thousands of Syrian and Arab mercenaries and delivering advanced military equipment to back GNA-allied forces fighting the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar during his offensive aimed at regaining control of the capital, Tripoli.
While Ankara acknowledges its support for the GNA militarily, Moscow denies providing any support to the LNA.
Turkey signed a military and economic cooperation agreement with Sarraj that sparked sharp controversy, which pushed it to seek to achieve its agendas by electing a transitional government and presidential council that would not challenge its influence and role in Libya, according to observers.
Analysts believe that the success of the political track set by the United Nations Support Mission to Libya (UNSMIL) depends to a large extent on halting foreign interference that has deepened the rift between Libyan factions.
However, the intentions of the parties that particularly interfered in the crisis, such as Turkey, raise doubts about the prospects of success for the ceasefire agreement and the UN agenda as a whole.
LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari accused Turkey on Saturday evening of sending a large number of mercenaries into Libya and stressed the need to form a government that represents all Libyan factions.
Mismari said in press statements that “the international community must support the task of removing mercenaries and foreign forces, including the Turkish military, Syrian mercenaries and African nationals.”
In the meanwhile, the 5+5 military committee, based in the city of Sirte, is still struggling to implement the understandings that have been reached, as it recently agreed to start clearing mines in preparation for the opening of a coastal road linking the country’s east and west. The issue of mercenaries remains one of the most significant sticking points, with no progress yet made by the committee.