Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the US President Donald Trump have discussed over the phone the latest developments in Libya, said Turkey’s Communication Directorate.
During their conversation on Monday, Erdogan and Trump stressed the importance of the restoration of peace and stability in Libya, according to the directorate.
Trump told Erdogan that intervention of external powers in Libya would lead to escalation in the war-torn country.
A report by the inspectors general of the US Department of State and the Pentagon on the situation in North and West Africa for the period from October to the end of December 2019 said the Russian presence in Libya is growing and is a challenge to the United States counter-terrorism operations.
“Russian mercenaries, better known as PMCs Wagner, increased their presence by an additional 600-1200 people in Libya.” The report reveals.
According to US officials, as early as September there were only about 200 fighters of Russian Wagner Group in Libya.
The report said that Russian forces allegedly could have been involved in the disappearance at the end of November 2019 of an American drone in the sky above Tripoli.
“The US armed forces conduct counter-terrorism operations outside of Libya in coordination with the internationally recognized Government of National Accord (GNA)”. The report says.
