New UN draft resolution calls for withdrawal of mercenaries in Libya
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The United Kingdom has sent its fellow Security Council members an amended draft resolution on Libya, calling for the withdrawal of mercenaries from the country.
The draft expresses the Council’s “concern over the growing involvement of mercenaries in Libya,” despite commitments made on 19 January at an international summit in Berlin, including “ceasing all support for and withdrawing all armed mercenary personnel”.
The text also urged all member states “not to intervene in the conflict or take measures that exacerbate the conflict”.
According to diplomats, Russia strongly opposes any mention of mercenaries in the text. No date has yet been set for a vote on the resolution.
The first version of the British draft, dated 24 January, contained no mention of armed foreign fighters.
On Thursday, UN envoy Ghassan Salame accused “unscrupulous” foreign actors – without specifying who – of continuing to meddle in Libya’s conflict, in violation of the Berlin commitments.
Russia is accused of facilitating the arrival of several thousand Russian mercenaries in Libya, while Turkey allegedly brought Syrian rebel fighters into the north African nation.
For the past 10 months, the Security Council has been unable to adopt any resolution on the conflict in Libya.
The amended British text “condemns the recent increase in levels of violence and demands the parties commit to a lasting ceasefire”.
It also asks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to “submit his views on the necessary conditions for, and proposals on effective ceasefire monitoring”.
