Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, received on Monday the Libya's 5+5 Joint Military Commission at the pan-Arab bloc's headquarters. "During the meeting, Aboul Gheit was briefed on all the activities of the committee during the recent period, which culminated in the approval and stabilization of the ceasefire, as well as the adoption of an action plan during the last meeting in Geneva last month to withdraw all mercenaries, foreign fighters and foreign troops from Libyan territory," according to a statement by the Arab League. The statement added, "The members of the committee reviewed the results of their meetings in Cairo, which aimed to approve the timetable for achieving the withdrawal of the entire foreign military presence." All the details related to that process we discussed, which is carried out in consultation with a number of neighboring countries of southern Libya, such as Sudan, Chad, and Niger. The deliberations also included ways to dissolve the armed militias and unify the Libyan institution. The statement read, "Aboul Gheit stressed the importance that the League attaches to the Libyan issue, praising in this context the work of the Military Commission and its achievements represented in the ceasefire and agreement to open the coastal road, as well as the plan to remove the foreign military presence from Libya." He pointed out that evacuating Libyan territory from foreign military presence is a vital necessity for Libya's security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the security of other neighboring countries. The Secretary-General stressed the importance of committing to holding the elections on their scheduled date on 24 December, while providing the means to ensure their success, by setting the organizing rules and executive mechanisms, as a prelude to assuming an elected authority by the will of the Libyans. Aboul Gheit also affirmed that the Arab League will provide all means of political and technical support required for the Libyan state during the coming period, whether in the areas related to elections or speeding up development aspects, unifying institutions and supporting the Libyan state's efforts to cross that sensitive stage in its history.
