TRIPOLI: Libya's new unity government on Thursday demanded the "immediate" withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries ahead of year-end elections, in a call backed by the visiting top diplomats of France, Germany and Italy.
The North African country descended into chaos after dictator Moamer Kadhafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, resulting in multiple forces vying for power.
Fighting only came to a halt last summer, and a formal ceasefire in October was followed by the establishment of a unity government led by interim Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
The presence of an estimated 20,000 foreign fighters and mercenaries on Libya's territory is seen as a threat to the UN-backed transition leading to December 24 elections.
"We reiterate the need for the departure of all mercenaries from Libya, and immediately," Libyan Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush said at a Tripoli news conference joined by her French, German and Italian counterparts.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian echoed her call.
"The departure of the mercenaries is essential for the Libyan state to assert its sovereignty," Le Drian he told the news conference.
"We cannot look away from the consequences that the Libyan crisis may have in Europe in terms of security, terrorism and migration," he said.
The three European diplomats were in Tripoli in a show of support for the newly formed Government of National Unity, or GNU.
"We represent the EU's support for Libya as it moves towards peace," said Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.
"Italy and Europe are still convinced that there can be no military solution to the Libyan crisis," he said.
"We reiterated the importance of maintaining the ceasefire, the reopening of the coastal road and the departure of mercenaries."
Dbeibah was sworn in as interim prime minister last week after his cabinet was approved in a move widely hailed as "historic".
The new transitional executive emerged from a complex UN-sponsored process launched in November, and its members were confirmed by Libya's parliament on March 10.
Libya had been divided between two rival administrations: the Government of National Accord (GNA) based in Tripoli, and its rival in the east loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar.
The eastern administration officially handed over power to the new executive on Tuesday, a week after Fayez al-Sarraj, the outgoing head of the GNA, formally ceded to the new unity government.
Haftar has not officially taken part in the political negotiations.
Libya's population of seven million, sitting atop Africa's largest proven crude oil reserves, faces a dire economic crisis with soaring unemployment, crippling inflation and endemic corruption.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said he "remains deeply concerned" that "foreign elements" continue to operate in the North African country, in a report discussed by Security Council members on Wednesday.
"I reiterate my call on all national, regional and international actors to respect the provisions of the ceasefire agreement in order to ensure its full implementation without delay," Guterres wrote.
"This includes complete and unconditional respect for and compliance with the United Nations arms embargo."
The visit by the trio of EU foreign ministers comes after President Emmanuel Macron said France would reopen its embassy in the Libyan capital next week.
Their host Mangoush said on Thursday that Germany and Italy had also agreed to reopen their embassies in Libya, adding that the process "must be accelerated".
Other countries including Egypt and Malta have also announced their intention to reopen embassies in Tripoli.
Libya demands mercenary pullout as EU top diplomats visit
https://arab.news/vnzkj
Libya demands mercenary pullout as EU top diplomats visit
- "We reiterate the need for the departure of all mercenaries from Libya, and immediately," Libya's FM said
- French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian echoed her call
Satellite imagery shows apparent attack on Iranian nuclear site, report says
VIENNA/WASHINGTON: Commercial satellite imagery has captured what appears to be the first known strikes on an Iranian nuclear site since the start of the US-Israeli air operation, an independent policy institute said on Monday.
The Institute for Science and International Security said imagery produced by Colorado-based Vantor showed two strikes on access points to the underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, which was hit by the US last June.
David Albright, a former UN nuclear inspector and founder of the institute, said the strikes appeared to have occurred sometime between Sunday afternoon and Monday morning local time, based on the satellite imagery his group reviewed.
He was unable to identify whether the US or Israel hit the Natanz complex, one of the main facilities of Iran's nuclear program.
He credited Ben Tzion Macales, an Israeli geo-analyst, as being the first to find satellite imagery of the Natanz strikes.
The and Israel launched their air war against Iran early Saturday, triggering Iranian retaliatory strikes around the region.
Albright's findings appeared to corroborate an earlier statement by Reza Najafi, Iran's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, that Natanz was hit on Sunday. Najafi was disputing a comment by IAEA chief Raphael Grossi, who said there was no sign that any nuclear site had been hit.
Albright said it was likely that Grossi had relied on imagery produced before the pictures obtained by his institute.
The IAEA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House and Central Command also did not immediately respond.
Iran's nuclear programme is among the reasons Israel and the US have given for the attacks, alleging Iran was getting too close to being able to eventually make a nuclear bomb. Iran has repeatedly denied seeking a nuclear arsenal.
Albright's report said Vantor's imagery showed that three buildings at Natanz had been destroyed. Two were personnel entrances to two underground halls housing thousands of centrifuges, machines that enrich uranium for use in power plants or weapons depending on the duration.
Even though the halls were rendered inoperable by the US attack in June, the strikes could indicate that the halls still contained "recoverable centrifuges" or other related equipment, the report said.
The third building destroyed covered the only vehicle access ramp to the underground halls, it said.
Grossi said in a statement to a meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors that the agency had no indication that "any of thenuclear installations ... have been damaged or hit."
Moments after Grossi's remarks, Najafi told reporters outside that Natanz had been attacked.
"Again they attacked Iran's peaceful, safeguarded nuclear facilities yesterday," Najafi said. Asked by Reuters which facilities were hit, he replied: "Natanz" and left.
IAEA has limited contact with Iran
While the IAEA's crisis-response centre has been unable to reach Iran's nuclear regulatory authorities, there has been some contact with Iranian officials, Grossi told a press conference.
"We are, of course, in conversation with Iran, but at the moment, it's very limited. Until last Thursday, it was very intense," he said, adding that while the IAEA has no staff in Iran at the moment, it is watching satellite images closely.
Tehran has not let the IAEA return to its bombed facilities since they were attacked in June.
Calls for dialogue to resume
Natanz housed facilities including two uranium-enrichment plants attacked in June - an above-ground one the IAEA says was destroyed and the underground facility containing the two centrifuge halls that were at least badly damaged at the time.
Asked about Najafi's remarks, Grossi stood firm at his later press conference, saying, "I will not get into a polemic on that. We stand by what I said before."
Grossi was in Geneva for the last two rounds of Oman-mediated talks between Iran and the United States, discussing nuclear specifics with both sides.
"An understanding eluded the parties this time. I am sure we are, quite understandably, feeling a strong sense of frustration," Grossi told the board.
