Berlin: At the Libya conference in Berlin on Wednesday, Russia, Turkey, Egypt and other states committed to the withdrawal of all foreign fighters from the war-torn North African country.
The withdrawal, which was agreed as part of a ceasefire in October, must be implemented in full and "without further delay," according to the final declaration from the conference.
All parties must refrain from actions that exacerbate the conflict, including "financing military capabilities or recruiting foreign fighters and mercenaries," it said.
The seven-page statement notes that Turkey expressed reservations at the conference on the demand for an immediate withdrawal.
According to German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, the background to this is a discussion about the fact that "regular forces" - for example, to train security forces in the country - should not be compared with mercenaries. "This has occupied us very intensively today," Maas said after the conference concluded.
Representatives from 16 countries and four international organisations were at the one-day meeting in Berlin, co-hosted by Germany and the United Nations.
"We will not rest until the last foreign force ... has left the country," Maas stressed.
He conceded, however, that this can only happen gradually. The road to peace is not a sprint, but rather a marathon, he said.
Germany and the other participants stressed the importance of planned elections for the peace process.
"Hardly anything is as crucial for peace and stability in Libya as the nationwide elections on December 24," Maas said.
Maas called for the election date to be respected: "After decades of dictatorship and years of conflict, the people of Libya finally want to be heard."
Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed the importance of joint US-German action to resolve the Libyan conflict. It is very important "that we send a united signal towards Libya," Merkel said on Wednesday before talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Berlin.
She said she was pleased that the US was back on the multilateral stage. "Germany and the US are partners in this context. And we know about our responsibility."
Merkel stressed that she wanted the Libyan people to decide on their own future. She also wanted to make it clear that international partners were ready to accompany them on this path. This is important in view of the strategic importance of the situation in Libya, for example with regard to Africa and the African-European relationship.
Blinken, on his first trip to Germany as US secretary of state, echoed Maas and urged parties to Libya's protracted conflict to seize the chance for peace by getting foreign fighters out of the country and laying a path for elections in December.
"We have an opportunity that we have not had in recent years to really help Libya move forward as a safe, secure, sovereign country,"Blinken said in Berlin alongside his German counterpart.
According to estimates by the UN, some 20,000 foreign mercenaries were stationed in Libya in December 2020, and the figure has not significantly changed. Arms deliveries have also not stopped.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres sees the elections planned across all of war-torn Libya for December 24 in danger.
In order to achieve this goal, "urgent action" by the transitional government in the North African country is necessary, Guterres said in a video address at the start of the conference.
According to experts, one of the most pressing problems is the lack of a legal basis for the vote. Among other things, there is still disagreement about whether the Libyans should only decide on the parliament or also on a new president.
German diplomatic circles have also expressed doubts about whether the election will take place as planned.
Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Gaddafi. It has become a battleground for rival proxy forces, which has in turn drawn in foreign powers such as Turkey and Syrian mercenaries.
Peace efforts gathered pace after an interim unity government took office in March to lead the country through the December poll.
However, about 1.3 million people in Libya are dependent on humanitarian aid - an increase of 400,000 since last year, according to UN figures.
Living conditions and supplies such as electricity and water remain poor for the majority of Libyans. The people would like to see an upturn in the economy. However, corruption and nepotism are widespread.
Germany has taken on a mediator role in the Libyan conflict, and Wednesday's talks follow up on a major conference held in Berlin in early 2020.
Germany has concrete interests, as the main routes for refugees seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe pass through Libya. — dpa
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