US Ambassador Norland on unification of army, removal of foreign mercenaries and troops, unfreezing of Libyan assets abroad and Hafter’s U.S. court cases

By Sami Zaptia.

London, 6 August 2021:

US Ambassador and Special Envoy to Libya Richard Norland gave an interview to Al Jazeera TV yesterday during which he discussed the reunification of the Libyan army, the legal case against Khalifa Hafter in U.S. courts, the removal of foreign forces and mercenaries, the unfreezing of Libyan assets abroad by the UN and the return of the U.S. Embassy to Tripoli.

Unification of army

• The goal now in Libya is to unify all institutions, including the military, and it is important to make progress because the government must control the country, otherwise stability will be destabilized again.
• We believe that there is a real interest in unifying the army and signs of coordination between the government forces in the east and west, and the 5 + 5 committee can play a role in this direction.
• There are many Libyan political and military figures who can help unify the military establishment, and General Haftar is one of them, and that would be an excellent achievement.

The legal cases in the US against Khalifa Hsfter

• I cannot comment on the legal procedures of the cases brought against Haftar, and I agree that the issue of accountability must be taken into consideration, but the Presidential Council is working to achieve reconciliation, and the Libyans are the ones who choose ways to deal with this issue in the long term

Removal of Syrian mercenaries by both sides

• We believe that our conversation with Russia and Turkey showed that they are ready to leave the Syrian mercenaries on both sides, but the withdrawal of Turkish and Russian forces remains a challenge.
• The Russians and the Turks should realize that the withdrawal is in their interest so that the elements of sovereignty for the government are available and to ensure stability in the region.

Removal of foreign forces

• The Joint Military Committee sets a vision for the departure of foreign forces, and we want to help them build this vision with the participation of the United Nations.

Unfreezing Libyan assets

• With the increase in stability in Libya, there has been talk about the circumstances in which it is possible to unfreeze the Libyan assets, which amount to many billions, that can benefit the Libyan economy.

Return of U.S. Embassy to Tripoli

• We hope that the American embassy will return to Tripoli soon, and we will study the matter carefully and in stages