Libya rivals hold UN-brokered reconciliation talks

TRIPOLI, Libya – Opposing factions in the Libyan parliament met Monday, September 29, for UN-brokered talks aimed at ending a split which has left the violence-plagued country with rival governments.

The hard-won gathering in the remote oasis town of Ghadames, confirmed only on Sunday night, September 28, was the fruit of marathon shuttle diplomacy between the two sides by UN mission chief Bernardino Leon.

The meeting, which finally started at 3 pm (1300 GMT) after a five-hour delay, was “an historic day for Libya” and sent “a strong message of unity to the Libyan people”, Leon said in an opening address.

Government representatives from Britain and Malta, Libya’s close Mediterranean neighbor, attended the meeting which was being held behind closed doors.

The majority faction in the legislature elected on June 25 has been meeting in the far eastern town of Tobruk near the border with Egypt since Islamist militia and their allies took control of most of the capital last month.

The minority faction stayed in Tripoli and has boycotted the Tobruk sessions.

Twelve delegates from each side were to take part in Monday’s talks in Ghadames, 600 km (370 miles) southwest of Tripoli and close to the Algerian and Tunisian borders, parliament spokesman Fraj Abu Hashem told Agence France-Presse before the meeting.

The Tobruk-based government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thani is internationally recognized but Libya’s three main cities are almost entirely outside its control.

The Islamists and their allies have established a rival government in Tripoli headed by Omar al-Hassi, and have reconvened the previous legislature which they dominated.

The Ghadames talks are aimed at reaching a “framework agreement on the rules of procedures” for parliament and another on “the critical issues relating to the governance of the country”, the UN mission said earlier this month.

The mission said it hoped the two sides would also agree a date and venue for a ceremony during which the previous parliament would transfer power to the internationally recognized legislature.

“Agreement on these points will allow for future discussions on the critical issues of governance and the political transition and full normalization of institutions and the country,” it added.

Libya has been in turmoil ever since the NATO-backed uprising which ousted and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gaddafi in 2011 with a myriad of former rebel militias vying for power.

In May, renegade general Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive against Islamists in the eastern city of Benghazi, including the jihadist Ansar al-Sharia group.

There has been almost daily fighting between Haftar’s forces and the militias, which now control nearly all of Benghazi, the cradle of the 2011 uprising. – Rappler.com