The US embassy in Libya announced on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump discussed with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan the necessary steps to achieve a demilitarized solution in central Libya and achieve a complete and reciprocal withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya.
The embassy explained that the talks between the two presidents stressed the need to enable the National Oil Corporation to resume its vital work and to enhance transparency and economic reforms.
"The phone call between Presidents Trump and Erdogan was followed by a visit by US Ambassador Richard Norland during which he discussed with senior Turkish officials to end the conflict and return to the political dialogue supported by the United Nations in Libya," the embassy said in a statement.
End the presence of mercenaries
For his part, an official source in the internationally recognized Government of National Accord confirmed that the Accord forces will enter Sirte and Jufrah within the framework of international understandings to expel foreign mercenaries from the two cities.
The source told Al-Jazeera Net that there are US talks with the reconciliation government on the one hand and the Tobruk Parliament Speaker Aqeela Saleh on working to ensure that Sirte and Al-Jufra are demilitarized under the security of security personnel, indicating that negotiations are continuing to define the tasks of the security elements.
The same source added that Sirte and Jufrah will be free of any military presence of the militias of the retired Major General Khalifa Haftar, in addition to the oil fields and ports will return to work again under the exclusive control of the National Oil Corporation, which is authorized to operate its facilities and export Libyan oil.
The source stated that a delegation from the Government of National Accord that includes military and security personnel held meetings with international parties to reduce the escalation in Sirte and Al-Jufrah in the event that Haftar's forces surrender, and to work for Sirte and Al-Jufrah to be demilitarized within the framework of Egyptian guarantees that Haftar's forces will return to their sites in eastern Libya and that the Accord forces will not advance towards Eastern regions.
The source indicated that Turkish-Russian negotiations have been taking place for some time to get Russian Wagner mercenaries out of Sirte and Jufrah after the failure of Haftar's military campaign on Tripoli and the withdrawal of any Russian military equipment that recently arrived with the support of the Emirati, Egyptian and Saudi Arabia.
And he added, "It is never possible to accept any armed militia or mercenaries affiliated with Haftar in Sirte and Al-Jufrah that threatens the entire existence of the western region."
The source pointed out that the Al-Wefaq government forces defend the interests of the Libyan people against countries including Egypt, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which seek to install a military dictatorial ruler to run the country for the sake of their narrow interests.
Ready for futile attacks
In turn, the commander of the Sirte Al-Jafra operations room in the Al-Wefaq government forces, Ibrahim Bait Al-Mal, confirmed that the reconciliation government forces are ready to repel any vain attack by Haftar's militia on the western cities.
"We respect the ceasefire and our international commitments, but we will not stand idly by in front of any failed attempt that Haftar and his militias want to exploit in order to abolish his obligations that we are accustomed to breaking each time," Beit al-Mal added to Al-Jazeera Net.
Bayt al-Mal stated that the recent movements of Haftar's mercenaries and their armed supplies contradict international negotiations on working for Sirte and Jufra to be demilitarized.