The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to support the new transitional authorities in Libya, welcoming them as "an important milestone" in the country's political process, but urged all states with foreign forces and mercenaries in the country to withdraw them “without further delay.”
In a statement drafted by Britain, the Council called on "the interim executive authority to agree swiftly on the formation of a new, inclusive government," and to "launch a comprehensive national reconciliation process."
The Security Council also stressed the need to respect the ceasefire observed since October, and to proceed with "the withdrawal of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without further delay."
A fragile ceasefire agreed in Geneva in October has largely held.
Libya embarked Saturday on a new phase of transition after an interim executive was selected to lead the country until December elections.
On February 4, the Security Council instructed Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to "deploy swiftly an advance team" of ceasefire monitors to Libya.
The team will be a "light force" that "is going to be scalable," and will include unarmed civilian observers, said former acting UN envoy Stephanie Williams.
The council thanked Williams for her role in getting the Libyan rivals to agree to the ceasefire, December elections and the transitional government.
Former Slovak foreign minister Jan Kubis, a veteran UN diplomat, took over Monday as the UN special representative for Libya. His office said he has spoken with key players in the east and west, the president-designate of the presidency council and the prime minister-designate.
The Security Council reaffirmed its strong commitment “to the UN-facilitated Libyan-led and Libyan-owned political process and to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya.” Kubis pledged to build “on the momentum generated by positive developments achieved in the past months.”
