Drah: We could close the coastal road again if the other side doesn’t commit

General Abdelhadi Drah, the spokesperson for the Sirte-Jufra Operations Room, said that the room had opened the coastal route for more than 35 days, but that the other side had not opened the coastal road and had not followed any of the 5 + 5 Commission’s recommendations.

Brigadier General Drah said in comments published by the Libyan news agency )LANA) that the officers of the Joint Military Commission 5 + 5 from the opposing side had not cooperated with what had been negotiated and approved.

He stated that the Sirte-Jufra operations room had submitted a letter to the 5 + 5 Commission 35 days prior to the route’s inauguration, while the other party had refused to open the road without providing reasons and stating who was obstructing its opening.

General Drah said that the operation had not seen any action by the Committee on the evacuation of mercenaries and the clearance of mine remains inside Sirte and certain locations where fighting had occurred.

The operation would have to re-close the route so that the second party could open it and agree to execute all of the terms of the 5 + 5 Agreement, which included demining, mercenary withdrawal, and prisoner extradition.

Previously, the Sirte Protection and Security Operations Chamber of General Ibrahim Beit Al-Mal, 5 + 5 Committee informed General Ibrahim Beit Al-Mal of their intention to shut the coastal route if it was not opened between the region of Boirat Al-Hasoun and the city of Sirte by the end of July.

Meanwhile, the 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) sessions in Sirte, which were attended by a team from the UN Support Mission in Libya, began on Thursday.

According to well-informed sources, talks on a number of issues contained in the Commission’s work program will continue at the sessions, including the latest preparations for the opening of the western and eastern coastline roads.