Syrian mercenaries affiliated with Turkey and the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) are in uproar over unpaid monthly wages.
A leaked video showed dozens of the fighters staging a small protest inside their camp in the capital Tripoli where they demanded their salaries that have not been paid in months.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that heads of factions are deliberate in delaying the payments and have even been taking out anywhere between 100 to 300 dollars from their wages.
The war monitor also noted that the collapse of the Turkish lira has impeded Ankara’s ability to pay the salaries.
In December, acting head of the United Nations mission in Libya, Stephanie Williams, had revealed that some 20,000 mercenaries and foreign forces were operating in Libya in flagrant violation of the country’s sovereignty.
The 5+5 military committee, which is comprised of representatives from the Libyan National Army (LNA) and GNA, had formed a panel to oversee the return of mercenaries back to their homes. They had set an October 23, 2020 deadline for the withdrawal.
The pullout of Syrian mercenaries had stopped in mid-November, revealed the Observatory. Some 18,000 Syrians, including 350 children, were estimated to have flown to fight for the GNA.
More than half have since returned home after fulfilling their contracts and earning their wages.
Other foreign fighters include some 10,000 extremists, of whom 2,500 are Tunisian, said the monitor.
Separately, head of the GNA High Council of State Khalid al-Mishri stressed the need for establishing “solid ground” for holding successful elections.
During a meeting with Italian Ambassador to Libyan Giuseppe Buccino on Thursday, he discussed some of the obstacles hindering the polls, underlining the need to hold a constitutional referendum.
A referendum, he explained, does not encounter the same hurdles as elections.
