Libya’s 5+5 Joint Military Commission ends first meeting in Sirte, decides to reopen coastal road and remove foreign fighters

By Sami Zaptia.

London, 13 November 2020:

Libya’s 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission concluded the first meeting at its new headquarters in Sirte, and the sixth since its formation early this year, UNSMIL reported yesterday. The meeting had commenced on 10 November.

The goal of the meeting, the second meeting inside Libya, coming as a continuation of the talks that began in Ghadames (2-3 November), was to accelerate the implementation of the ceasefire agreement signed on October 23 in Geneva, UNSMIL explained.

At the end of the meeting, attended by UNSMIL, a closing statement was issued as follows:

First: The first stage of opening the coastal road:

1. Begin to clear the coastal road at a distance that allows safe passage for citizens. For this purpose, the competent committee has begun preparing the mechanisms and operational steps on the ground and directing the removal of mines and explosive remnants of war in cooperation with the United Nations from this road and the areas specified at this stage.
2. Exiting all mercenaries and foreign fighters from the targeted area by opening the coastal road and gathering them in Tripoli and Benghazi to start in a next stage of their departure from Libyan lands.
3. The Joint Military Committee 5 + 5 assigned the committee to evacuate the front lines to withdraw the vehicles and heavy weapons from the targeted area for opening the coastal road and returning the forces to their units in coordination with the Security Arrangements Committee to secure the area after it is evacuated from the military forces.

Second: It was agreed that the second phase would start immediately after the end of the first phase, and it included the exit of mercenaries and foreign fighters from the area of ​​all contact lines and their withdrawal to Benghazi and Tripoli, a first step to start the process of their departure from the Libyan lands, a next step.

Third: Regarding security arrangements in the target area, the Joint Military Committee decided the following:

1. Approval of the joint security arrangements related to the entire area of ​​contact lines that have been identified by the 5 + 5 Committee.
2. The adoption of urgent security arrangements that allow the opening of the coastal road and facilitate traffic flow.

Fourth: The 5 + 5 Joint Military Committee decided to meet again as soon as possible.