U.N. authorizes deployment of ceasefire monitors

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council has approved international monitors to watch over a nearly sixmonthold ceasefire agreement in Libya as the country heads toward December elections after a decade of fighting and upheaval.

The council unanimously approved SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres’ recent proposal for up to 60 monitors to join an existing political mission in Libya. The measure also urges all foreign forces and mercenaries to get out of the country, as was supposed to happen months ago.

“We now expect all U.N. members to act on that, helping Libya to regain its sovereignty and work towards lasting peace and stability,” Britain’s minister for the Middle East and North Africa, James Cleverly, said in a statement from London.

He heralded the resolution as sending “a clear signal of support” for Libya’s transitional government, which took power last month and is expected to lead the country to the elections, planned Dec. 24.

Libya’s transitional government on Saturday welcomed the Security Council decision. The Government of National Unity also urged the council to help get mercenaries out of the oilrich country

Libya didn’t get to vote on the measure, as it isn’t a member of the 15nation council. The results were announced at a virtual meeting Friday.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since a NATObacked uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Khadafy in 2011 and split the oilrich North African country between a U.N.supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities based in the country’s east.

Each side was backed by armed groups and foreign governments. The U.N. estimated in December there were at least 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries in Libya, including Syrians, Russians, Sudanese and Chadians.

In April 2019, eastbased commander Khalifa Hifter and his forces, backed by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, opened an offensive to try and capture Tripoli. His 14monthlong campaign collapsed after Turkey stepped up its military support of the U.N.backed government with hundreds of troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries.

The ceasefire agreement, reached in October, called for the foreign fighters to leave within three months.