US officials pushed Libya’s UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) to demobilize its militias in a virtual meeting this week, the State Department announced today. The State Department also announced that “the US delegation will convene a similar conversation” with representatives from the Libyan National Army (LNA), led by strongman Khalifa Hifter.
“The delegations reaffirmed that armed groups that attempt to spoil the political process or engage in criminal acts do so at a significant risk of international sanctions,” the State Department said in a statement. The statement also noted that US and GNA representatives “affirmed that all Libyan citizens should enjoy the protection of capable and accountable security forces, free from the dangers posed by militias, armed groups and foreign fighters.”
