A US official said that Washington will not stand idly by regarding the presence of Wagner mercenaries in Libya and that it is waiting for a serious security threat.
Al-Monitor newspaper quoted a US official, who preferred not to be named, as saying that the continued presence of Wagner fighters in Libya greatly destabilizes Libya and the region, indicating that he discussed this matter with a wide group of Libyans.
Regarding the Batelli plan, the US official made it clear that the United States is 100% committed to assisting Batelli, and that they look forward to consulting with Congress about steps in this direction.
The US official added that Batelli’s plan needs more details, considering that the presence of a legitimate government has moral weight to speak clearly about the relationship it wants with foreign actors, including Russia.
For his part, the former director of the National Security Council for North Africa, Ben Fishman, stated that the main role that the United States can play in any Libyan elections is to involve external parties in supporting the elections.
Ben Fishman added that Cairo, which supports the House of Representatives, is very wary of any elections, despite its public statements that they are comfortable with the status quo.
Regarding the Libyan internal situation, Ben Fishman continued that the Libyan political elite feels comfortable with the current situation, considering that it will lose its power in any possible elections.
In the same context, a European envoy to Libya told Al-Monitor that the Libyan parties want to remain in the situation they are in now, and that this is the impasse.
