British envoy urges withdrawal of mercenaries in meeting with Haftar
Ambassador Caroline Hurndall meets with putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar in Benghazi, Libya, March 28, 2022. (@CaroHurndall Twitter)


British ambassador to Libya urged the putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar to withdraw all mercenaries from the war-torn country.

Ambassador Caroline Hurndall made the statement on Twitter after visiting Haftar in the eastern city of Benghazi on Sunday.

She also called on all sides to engage with the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya Stephanie Williams.

In a separate post, Hurndall said she also held a meeting with Deputy Governor Ali al Hibri on the unification of the Central Bank of Libya.

"We discussed the future of Libya’s economy – and possibilities for investment to help diversify the economy," she said.

Foreign mercenaries and arms have poured into the country since Haftar launched his offensive, with Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) serving as the putschist general's top suppliers. According to the U.N., there are currently 20,000 foreign forces and/or mercenaries left in Libya.

Most of the foreign forces are concentrated around Sirte at Jufra airbase held by Haftar's forces 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of Tripoli and further west in al-Watiya.

The Janjaweed militias were used by the Sudanese government to suppress the Darfur insurgency, a campaign that drew charges of genocide against its perpetrators including toppled autocrat Omar al-Bashir.

The Russian Wagner Group, which is owned by businessperson Yevgeny Prigozhin, a figure close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, also sent mercenaries to fight in Libya.