Saleh plays down Russia ties during US visit

Oct 9, 2024 | International actors

On 9 October, during his visit to the US, House of Representatives (HoR) Speaker Aqeela Saleh commented on the presence of Russian mercenaries in Libya in an interview with Alhurra TV. He hesitated to confirm their presence and emphasized that there is no official treaty with Russia regarding the presence of military forcesin Libya. Saleh denied the presence of any Russian forces in the country with the official approval of the ‘authorities he represents’. Saleh added that the ongoing chaos in the country is the reason for the presence of several different foreign military formations as well as foreign intelligence, noting that military from other countries, including Turkey and Italy, is present in Libya.

Saleh predicted that the chaos and division would come to an end as soon as a unified government is formed, which is what he is aiming for. Saleh argued that the laws for the election of the President and the Parliament exist and are available at the e High National Elections Commission (HNEC), but added that an authority is needed to prepare for these elections. According to him, this can only be done by a unified government that provides money, security and all logistical work for the HNEC. Saleh said that Washington can exert influence to end the crisis because ‘there is interference from some countries, which is the reason for the delay in the issue of elections.’ He accused the Dabaiba government of failing in all the tasks for which it came. It does not have the confidence of the HoR and, according to him, it is not a legitimate government.