Egypt calls for the exit of foreign forces, mercenaries from Libya: FM Shoukry

Ahram Online , Thursday 21 Oct 2021

Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry called on Thursday for the exit of all foreign armed forces, fighters, and mercenaries from Libya by a strictly defined timeframe.

Sameh Shoukry
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry attending the Libya Stabilization Conference on Thursday 21 October, 2021. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Foreign Ministry Facebook page.

In a speech in front of the Libya Stabilisation Conference in Tripoli, Shoukry called for the implementation of all terms of the ceasefire agreement, including freezing any military agreements signed by the two Libyan factions.

Despite not naming them, Shoukry’s words referred to two memoranda of understanding signed by the Turkish and Libyan government on maritime borders and security in November 2019, which Egypt has long rejected and condemned.

Egypt also called for the adoption of programmes to disarm the members of militant groups and rehabilitate them so that they may re-enter society.

The Egyptian foreign minister called on the international community to play its role in holding parties seeking to evade their obligations and violating international decisions accountable and ensuring that they fulfill their responsibilities.

“Stability has demands, starting with ceasing violence and escalation and building bridges of peace to achieve a comprehensive complete national reconciliation in a way to achieve sustainable social peace and protect the national identity of Libya,” Shoukry addressed the conference.

Shoukry added that it is important to equitably distribute Libya’s wealth to achieve complete development across the country.

The foreign minister also hinted that Egypt is coordinating with the United States and EU to implement Libya’s economic reform agenda to ensure the fair end efficient utilisation of Libya’s natural resources.

On the sidelines of the conference, Shoukry met with a number of Libyan officials according to the Foreign Ministry, specifically Chairman of the Presidential Council of Libya Mohamed Al-Menfi and his deputies Abdullah Allafi and Musa Al-Kuni.

Earlier today, Shoukry discussed with his Libyan counterpart Najla El Mangoush ways to boost the ongoing efforts to realise an all-out political settlement for the crisis in Libya.

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