UN Special Envoy to Libya: plan of action signed by 5+5 Military Commission is a comprehensive Libyan operation with national leadership and ownership.

Tripoli, 30 October 2021(Lana) The Head of UN Support Mission in Libya Jan Kupis thanked the Government of Egypt for hosting and supporting the Joint Military Committee (5+5) and expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the representatives of Chad, Niger and Sudan for their participation in this important meeting and their willingness to work with the Joint Military Committee (5+5) on the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters from Libya in a way that does not affect the stability of the situation in their countries and in the region.

‘In response to the aspirations of the Libyan people, and in line with the conclusions of the Berlin Conferences 1 and 2 and the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions on Libya, the Joint Military Committee (5+5) signed on October 8, 2021 during its meeting in Geneva, facilitated by the Mission, a plan of action, a comprehensive Libyan operation that will serve as the cornerstone for a gradual, balanced and sequential withdrawal of mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign forces from Libyan territory, Kupis told a meeting of 5+5 Military Committee in Cairo on Saturday.

The Action Plan is a Libyan plan approved by the Joint Military Commission and supported by the Libyan authorities; It is also a plan with national leadership and ownership that carries within it concrete ideas and determinants of implementation. The plan is a very important step on a long and arduous path towards peace, stability, security, cooperation and sustainable development in Libya and in the region in general, he said.

Based on the action plan, the Joint Military Committee intends to develop a plan and mechanism to implement a gradual, balanced and sequential exit of all mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces, through consultations and negotiations with Libya's neighboring countries and other international partners, Kupis said, indicating that the action plan was endorsed at the Stabilization Support Initiative Conference held in Tripoli on October 21 in the presence of the foreign ministers of Chad, Niger, and Sudan, as well as representatives of the Joint Military Commission who presented the plan.

The UN Envoy stressed that the Joint Military Commission has laid the foundation for the peace and political process in Libya. Our meeting today, and the meetings and consultations that will follow, are only the first steps in preparing a concrete implementation plan for the withdrawal of all mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign forces from Libya, which is also important in light of the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections, he said.

 Kupis expressed hope that the Cairo meeting would result in a mutual understanding on the building blocks and coordination mechanisms needed for withdrawal, and will enable agreement on the first steps of a withdrawal process that will take fully into account the needs and concerns of Libya and its neighbors. I count on your full cooperation as well as the support of the African Union in this noble and very important endeavor, he added.

=Lana=