LONDON: Libya’s warring parties have agreed that the flow of foreign fighters into the country must stop, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said on Saturday.
UNSMIL made the comments as the first round of UN-sponsored talks in Geneva came to an end.
The UN mission said there was “broad consensus” between Tripoli’s Government of National Accord (GNA) and the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar on the need for Libyans to preserve sovereignty, protect their country’s borders, stop foreign interference in the country and “to stop the flow of foreign fighters and to remove them from Libyan territory.”
The statement said the fight against extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda, Daesh and Ansar Al-Sharia should continue. It also said the two sides placed great importance on upholding the ceasefire that started on Jan. 12.
Both sides support the exchange of prisoners, returning the bodies of the deceased and the return of the displaced to their homes.
The 5+5 Libyan Joint Military Commission started the first round of talks on Monday.
Five senior officers appointed by the GNA and five senior officers appointed by the LNA participated in the talks which were moderated by the UN’s main envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame.
