عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Libya: 5+5 Commission Announces Mechanism for Mercenaries Withdrawal

Libyan National Army (LNA) members head out of Benghazi to reinforce troops advancing towards Tripoli, in Benghazi, Libya, April 7, 2019. (Reuters)
Libyan National Army (LNA) members head out of Benghazi to reinforce troops advancing towards Tripoli, in Benghazi, Libya, April 7, 2019. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Libya: 5+5 Commission Announces Mechanism for Mercenaries Withdrawal

Libyan National Army (LNA) members head out of Benghazi to reinforce troops advancing towards Tripoli, in Benghazi, Libya, April 7, 2019. (Reuters)
Libyan National Army (LNA) members head out of Benghazi to reinforce troops advancing towards Tripoli, in Benghazi, Libya, April 7, 2019. (Reuters)

The 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) concluded Thursday a three-day meeting in Cairo where it agreed with representatives of Chad, Niger, and Sudan on establishing an effective communication and coordination mechanism for the departure of mercenaries and foreign forces from the Libyan territories .

They agreed on implementing a a gradual, balanced, synchronized, and sequenced process, saying the mechanism will enable taking the first steps in the withdrawal process that will take fully into account the needs and concerns of Libya and its neighbors.

"The mechanism envisages the establishment of communication and coordination committees in Libya and neighboring countries that will be tasked with communicating and coordinating the withdrawal of mercenaries and foreign fighters as well as the holding of meetings during the implementation process between the JMC and Libyan authorities and representatives of the neighboring countries of Chad, Niger, and Sudan," a UNSMIL statement on the JMC meeting read.

For his part, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ján Kubis, hailed the continuous efforts of the JMC in this regard.

"I am honored to witness this progress achieved by Libya, Chad, Niger, and Sudan, working in the spirit of common interest and partnership that will open the doors to sustainable stability, security, development, and cooperation in the region," he noted.

"This responds to the overwhelming demand of the Libyan people and further creates a positive momentum in light of the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December."

Meanwhile, the UN continues to exert pressure on the Libyan Parliament to amend the presidential and parliamentary electoral laws, amid plans to hold elections in December.

On Thursday, the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, Youssef Al-Aqouri, discussed during a virtual meeting with UNSMIL Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator, Residen Zeninga, the requirements for the success of the electoral process.

“The success of the elections requires commitment to the outcomes of the Geneva Conference, including the removal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya," Aqouri said.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

US Names Rubio, Tony Blair, Kushner to Gaza Board under Trump's Plan

Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
TT
TT

US Names Rubio, Tony Blair, Kushner to Gaza Board under Trump's Plan

Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Palestinians move past the rubble of residential buildings destroyed during the war, in Gaza City, January 16, 2026. REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas

The White House on Friday announced some members of a so-called "Board of Peace" that is to supervise the temporary governance of Gaza, which has been under a fragile ceasefire since October.

The names include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Trump is the chair of the board, according to a plan his White House unveiled in October.

Israel and Hamas signed off on Trump's plan, which says a Palestinian technocratic body will be overseen by the international board, which will ⁠supervise Gaza's governance for a transitional period.

The White House did not detail the responsibilities of each member of the "founding Executive board." The names do not include any Palestinians. The White House said ⁠more members will be announced over the coming weeks.

The board will also include private equity executive and billionaire Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Robert Gabriel, a Trump adviser, the White House said, adding that Nickolay Mladenov, a former UN Middle East envoy, will be the high representative for Gaza.

Army Major General Jasper Jeffers, a US special operations commander, was appointed commander of the International Stabilization Force, the White House said. A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the board and countries working with it to establish that force in Gaza.

The White House also named an 11-member "Gaza Executive Board" that will include Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East ⁠peace process, Sigrid Kaag, the United Arab Emirates minister for international cooperation, Reem Al-Hashimy, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabay, along with some members of the executive board.

This additional board will support Mladenov's office and the Palestinian technocratic body, whose details were announced this week, the White House said.

Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations in Gaza, where more than 450 Palestinians, including over 100 children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed during the truce.

Israel's assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis and internally displaced Gaza's entire population.

Arab World

Israel Continues Targeting UN Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon

A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa
A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa
TT
TT

Israel Continues Targeting UN Peacekeepers in Southern Lebanon

A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa
A convoy from the Spanish contingent of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) passes through the town of Qlayaa in southern Lebanon, October 12, 2024. dpa

Attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) have continued in southern Lebanon, raising growing concern among Lebanese and diplomatic circles.

The latest incident occurred on Thursday in the border village of Adaisseh, where an Israeli drone dropped a grenade near a UNIFIL patrol despite prior coordination with the Israeli army. No injuries were reported.

In a statement, UNIFIL said that while its patrol was conducting routine operations, peacekeepers “were warned by locals about a potential danger at a home and discovered an explosive device connected to a detonating cord.”

“The peacekeepers set up a security cordon and prepared to check another house. Soon after, a drone that had been hovering overhead dropped a grenade about 30 meters from the peacekeepers,” said the statement.

Such Israeli activities on Lebanese territory put local civilians at risk and are a violation of Security Council Rresolution 1701, it added.

It warned that any actions that put peacekeepers at risk are serious violations of Resolution 1701, and undermine stability.

Lebanese sources familiar with UNIFIL’s operations said the incident was not an isolated event but part of a pattern of repeated Israeli targeting of UN peacekeeping patrols and positions over the past two years, including in areas subject to clear international security arrangements.

According to the sources, Israeli actions have continued despite advance notification of UNIFIL movements along the Blue Line.

UNIFIL patrols routinely inform the Israeli army of their routes, locations, and timing to avoid misunderstandings, weakening claims of accidental or mistaken targeting.

The sources said there is no convincing military or political explanation for the repeated incidents other than a deliberate effort to pressure or limit the presence of the international force in southern Lebanon.

Diplomatic sources warned that such attacks hinder UNIFIL’s ability to carry out its mandate to maintain stability and monitor the cessation of hostilities, despite repeated investigations that have yielded inconclusive results.

Arab World

Lebanon Probes Syrian Over Suspected Funds for Assad Loyalist Fighters

Lebanese soldiers patrol a suburb of Beirut (dpa)
Lebanese soldiers patrol a suburb of Beirut (dpa)
TT
TT

Lebanon Probes Syrian Over Suspected Funds for Assad Loyalist Fighters

Lebanese soldiers patrol a suburb of Beirut (dpa)
Lebanese soldiers patrol a suburb of Beirut (dpa)

A senior Lebanese security source said Lebanese military intelligence is questioning Syrian national Ahmad Dunya and examining the origins of funds seized in his possession and their presumed destinations, stopping short of saying they were intended to finance fighters as part of a plot to destabilize Syria’s newly installed leadership.

The source said Dunya is the only person still in custody from a group detained on suspicion of illegal activities. Investigators decided to keep him under questioning to determine how the funds were being used.

The amounts involved, the source said, are large enough to raise suspicion but too small to suggest large-scale financing aimed at threatening the new leadership in Syria.

Rejecting what he described as rushing to hasty conclusions, the source said the investigation is proceeding in the right direction. He also denied that Lebanon had received from Syrian authorities a list of 200 former regime officials allegedly involved in a similar plot.

He said tens of thousands of supporters of the former regime entered Lebanon after the collapse of the government, but there was no indication that senior former officials were among them.

Reuters cited two security sources and two of Dunya’s former partners as saying he was arrested earlier this week in Lebanon.

However, the Lebanese judiciary denied being informed of such an arrest. Two judicial sources involved in detentions and in coordination with Lebanese security agencies told Asharq Al-Awsat that the security services had not informed them of an incident of this kind.

Reuters also quoted two Lebanese security sources and two of Dunya’s former partners as confirming his detention. The security sources did not specify the charges against him or whether he would be handed over to Syria.

About a month ago, Reuters published an investigation detailing separate plans by aides of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to finance potential Alawite armed groups in Lebanon and along the Syrian coast through financial intermediaries.

The Reuters investigation said Dunya was one of those intermediaries and had transferred funds from billionaire Rami Makhlouf, Assad’s cousin, who is now living in exile in Moscow with the former Syrian ruler, to potential fighters in Lebanon and Syria.

A former partner of Dunya and a Syrian figure close to Makhlouf confirmed that Dunya was a key financial intermediary and that he had been detained in Lebanon.

The sources said Dunya managed extensive financial records, including payroll lists and receipts. They added that in recent months, he had been skimming a portion of Makhlouf’s transfers for himself.