Egypt Stresses All Foreign Forces, Mercenaries Must Leave Libya

Sameh Shoukry holding talks with the UN envoy to Libya in Cairo on Saturday (Foreign Ministry)
Sameh Shoukry holding talks with the UN envoy to Libya in Cairo on Saturday (Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Stresses All Foreign Forces, Mercenaries Must Leave Libya

Sameh Shoukry holding talks with the UN envoy to Libya in Cairo on Saturday (Foreign Ministry)
Sameh Shoukry holding talks with the UN envoy to Libya in Cairo on Saturday (Foreign Ministry)

Egypt reiterated that all foreign forces and mercenaries must leave Libyan territories with no exceptions.

This came during the meeting between Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and United Nations Special Envoy for Libya Jan Kubis in Cairo Saturday.

Shoukry asserted that Egypt attaches great importance to the exit of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya, according to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Ahmed Hafez.

He reiterated warnings of the threat posed by their presence to the country’s sovereignty and national unity as well as the security and stability of its neighboring countries and the region.

“All forms of foreign existence on Libyan territories must be brought to an end,” Shoukry said, noting that “no exceptions should be allowed”.

He also called for taking “stricter action against all parties violating an international arms embargo on Libya”.

In March 2011, the UN issued resolution number 1970 in which it demanded all Member States "to prevent the sale or supply to Libya of arms and related material of all types, including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment, paramilitary equipment, and spare parts."

Talks between the two sides tackled holding the Libyan parliamentary and presidential elections on time on December 24 by a Libyan political roadmap and relevant UN resolutions, Hafez said, noting that Shoukry warned of the implications of failing to deliver on political commitments.

For his part, the UN envoy briefed Shoukry on the outcome of his recent contacts with all the parties concerned with the Libyan situation. Kubis expressed his appreciation for Egypt’s efforts to consolidate the country’s stability.



Tunisia Detains Prominent Lawyer Souab

Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
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Tunisia Detains Prominent Lawyer Souab

Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Members of the honor guard stand at attention during a flag-raising in place of Kasba in Tunis, Tunisia, June 26, 2018. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Tunisian police on Monday detained Ahmed Souab, a prominent lawyer and fierce critic of the country's president, lawyers told Reuters, raising human rights groups' concerns that a crackdown on dissent will go ahead.

Souab is among the lawyers acting for opposition leaders who received lengthy prison sentences on Saturday on conspiracy charges.

Souab strongly criticized the judge and the trial on Friday, calling it a farce and saying the judiciary had been completely destroyed.

"It seems he was detained because of his critical comments on the trial on Friday," said Samir Dilou, one of Souab's lawyers. Two others lawyers confirmed the detention.

Political parties rejected the rulings, saying they were retaliatory after a trial aimed at cementing President Kais Saied's authoritarian rule.

Rights groups say Saied has had full control over the judiciary since he dissolved parliament in 2021 and began ruling by decree. He dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges in 2022.

"The mass conviction of dissidents...is a disturbing indication of the authorities' willingness to go ahead with its crackdown on peaceful dissent," the human rights group Amnesty International said.

Those convicted included prominent leaders of the Islamist Ennahda party, the main opposition party to Saied.

Ennahda Vice President, Noureddine Bhiri received a 43-year prison sentence, while the court sentenced two senior party officials, Said Ferjani and Sahbi Atig, to ​​13 years each.

The largest sentence was 66 years for businessman Kamel Ltaif, while opposition politician Khyam Turki received a 48-year sentence.