Egypt calls for all foreign forces to withdraw from Libya
Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s Foreign Minister, once again emphasised the pressing need for all foreign forces, fighters, and mercenaries to withdraw from Libyan territory, whose presence he claims obstructs Libyan unity, according to the Libya Review on January 11th.
He reiterated that the prolonged presence of foreign actors in Libya has persistently destabilised the polarised North African country’s efforts to achieve a lasting political settlement and a successful transition to democracy.
Abdelatty voiced these concerns at a meeting with Mohamed Ali Nafti, the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad. The talks were held on the sidelines of the extraordinary session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.
Abdelatty echoed similar remarks he made in late-July 2025, where he also called for a withdrawal of foreign forces and the dissolution of armed militias.
At the time, he warned that “any party obstructing Libya’s electoral process should face sanctions” and that “it is crucial to hold elections, but this will only be possible once foreign troops withdraw and militias are disarmed.”
This sentiment is shared by various other regional actors. In December, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune cautioned that Libya’s political crisis is a “deep open wound”, asserting that foreign involvement in the transitional process has only served to further polarise rival groups and fragment Libya’s institutions.
Libya has been effectively bisected into two separate governments vying for power ever since late dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled by a NATO intervention in 2011. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has been working to guide the nation towards free and fair national elections to eventually unify the administrations.
However, anti-government demonstrations have erupted across major Libyan cities, including the capital Tripoli, with masses of frustrated citizens protesting constant external influence in what they feel should be a Libyan-led transitional process.
Libya Review, Maghrebi.org
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