At a time when Libya and the international community are increasing the pressure for all mercenaries and foreign forces to leave Libya, Khartoum is worried that Sudan’s ‘mercenaries’ will return from Libya. During an interview in Doha, alongside the Arab League meeting, the two Sudanese and Libyan foreign ministers Maryam al-Mahdi and Najla al-Mangoush spoke of “this danger”.
For Maryam al-Mahdi, the Sudanese Foreign Minister, the return of mercenaries from Libya poses a danger to her country, which is still trying to stabilize itself. Especially if these warriors come back with their weapons.
In a statement, Khartoum, who was threatened, called for the issue to be considered “as a priority for the security of the region”. Libya, for its part, wants its neighbors to provide “common answers to the question”.
The two countries hope to re-employ these combatants by integrating them into the regular forces after training. They are asking their international partners for help in setting up a reintegration mechanism.
The UN estimates the number of Sudanese fighters in Libya at 11,000.
In April last year, ten days after the death of Chadian President Idriss Déby, the Security Council noted the risk of mercenaries in Libya spreading to other countries in the region. The Chadian president died in still unclear conditions after the invasion of heavily armed rebels from southern Libya.
►The UN is worried about the proliferation of mercenaries in Libya
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