CAIRO - 7 February 2023- The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, launched today in Cairo a two-day meeting bringing together the 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) and liaison committees for Libya, Sudan and Niger to discuss the withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries.

In his opening remarks, SRSG Bathily expressed his gratitude to the Egyptian government for hosting the meeting and for its continued efforts to contribute to peace and stability in Libya.

“What we are trying to achieve here is valuable to the people of Libya and beyond,” SRSG Bathily said in his opening remarks. “We must swiftly act collaboratively to achieve peace and stability for the people of Libya and the entire region.”

SRSG Bathily acknowledged the challenge of fully implementing the Ceasefire Agreement amidst political deadlock; however, he underlined that operationalizing the Liaison Committee’s role in withdraw foreign fighters and mercenaries, along the Action plan of the 5+5 JMC signed in October 2021, would “inspire hope among Libyans.”

“Now, more than ever, the security track remains an important pillar in paving the way for a conducive political and economic environment,” noting that collaboration among the countries will be critical for achieving peace and stability for Libya and the region.

The goal of the Cairo meeting was to establish a mechanism to coordinate follow-up and information sharing between the 5+5 JMC and the liaison committees as they move forward. In January, the 5+5 JMC  formed the Libyan liaison committee to institutionalize coordination with its counterpart liaison committees from Sudan, Niger and Chad, which were formed in 2021.

These steps are “of high importance to the implementation of the Action Plan for the withdrawal of foreign fighters and mercenaries,” SRSG Bathily said.

 The SRSG commended the 5+5 JMC and the representatives of the neighboring committees for their commitment to withdrawing foreign forces and fighters from Libya, noting that, in meetings last week in Tripoli, the ambassadors of Sudan, Niger and Chad also expressed “willingness and readiness to support the efforts of UNSMIL and Libyan actors to find lasting solutions.”