Russia Accuses Turkey of Bringing in Mercenaries into Libya

In this May 21, 2019 file photo, GNA forces clash with LNA forces, south of the capital Tripoli, Libya. (AP)
In this May 21, 2019 file photo, GNA forces clash with LNA forces, south of the capital Tripoli, Libya. (AP)
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Russia Accuses Turkey of Bringing in Mercenaries into Libya

In this May 21, 2019 file photo, GNA forces clash with LNA forces, south of the capital Tripoli, Libya. (AP)
In this May 21, 2019 file photo, GNA forces clash with LNA forces, south of the capital Tripoli, Libya. (AP)

Russia accused on Wednesday Turkey of bringing in foreign fighters into the North African country.

Interfax cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov as making the allegation.

Libyan Foreign Minister in the East Abdulhadi Lahweej made similar charges, saying the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) was using revenues from oil to pay for thousands of mercenaries coming from Syria to help it.

The Libyan National Army (LNA) launched in April an offensive against Tripoli to rid it of criminal and terrorist militias loyal to the GNA.

Turkey and the GNA signed last year a military cooperation deal and Ankara has since sent troops and allied Syrian fighters there.

On the oil blockade in Libya, Lahweej said his government, parallel to the GNA, could not force pro-LNA tribesmen to lift the embargo that he said was a "popular decision".

"We cannot use our power to lift the blockade," he told journalists in Geneva.

He also reiterated that his side, led by LNA commander Khalifa Haftar, would not participate in political talks due to begin in Geneva on Wednesday, saying there was no agreement with the UN mission on the composition of their delegation.

"The participation for the moment is suspended," he said.

The United Nations had planned to bring together lawmakers from both sides of Libya's conflict on Wednesday to end the fighting over Tripoli as part of a dialogue encompassing military, political and economic strands.

Moreover, Lahweej took aim several times at GNA Fayez al-Sarraj, who earlier this week called Haftar a "war criminal" at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

"The war criminal is the one who accepts mercenaries to kill people and accepts pilots who kill civilians," Lahweej said.

On Sunday, the LNA said it had killed 16 Turkish soldiers in recent weeks, accusing Ankara of continuing to provide military support to militias loyal to the GNA.



Tunisia Groups Urge Inclusion of Rejected Candidates in Poll

FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
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Tunisia Groups Urge Inclusion of Rejected Candidates in Poll

FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Tunisian President Kais Saied attends a signing ceremony with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China May 31, 2024. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/Pool/File Photo/File Photo

A petition signed by prominent Tunisians and civil society groups was published on Saturday urging that rejected candidates be allowed to stand in the October 6 presidential election, Agence France Presse reported.

Signed by 26 groups including Legal Agenda, Lawyers Without Borders and the Tunisian Human Rights League, it welcomed an administrative court decision this week to reinstate three candidates who had been disqualified.

They are Imed Daimi, who was an adviser to former president Moncef Marzouki, former minister Mondher Zenaidi and opposition party leader Abdellatif Mekki.

The three were among 14 candidates barred by the Tunisian election authority, ISIE, from standing in the election.

If they do take part, they will join former parliamentarian Zouhair Maghzaoui and businessman Ayachi Zammel in challenging incumbent President Kais Saied.

Saturday's petition was also signed by more than 180 civil society figures including Wahid Ferchichi, dean of the public law faculty at Carthage University.

It called the administrative court "the only competent authority to adjudicate disputes related to presidential election candidacies.”

The petition referred to statements by ISIE head Farouk Bouasker, who on Thursday indicated that the authority will soon meet to finalize the list of candidates, "taking into consideration judicial judgements already pronounced.”

This has been interpreted as suggesting the ISIE may reject new candidacies if they are the subject of legal proceedings or have convictions.

The administrative court's rulings on appeals "are enforceable and cannot be contested by any means whatsoever,” the petition said.

It called on the electoral authority to "respect the law and avoid any practice that could undermine the transparency and integrity of the electoral process.”