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Bloomberg
Warring parties in Libya signed a permanent ceasefire agreement ahead of a conference to appoint a unity government for the fractured North African country.
Representatives of the internationally recognised government based in Tripoli and eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar agreed to the ceasefire after talks in Geneva, the United Nations said.
The pact promises to end a war started last year when Haftar launched an offensive to capture the capital.
The truce could also lead to a further expansion in Libyan oil production.
“I hope this agreement ends the suffering of the Libyan people,†UN acting envoy Stephanie Williams told the Libyan delegates at the signing ceremony. “We still have much work in the coming weeks†to implement the deal.
Libya’s rivals are set to meet next month for a conference in Tunisia to appoint a unity government that would prepare for elections. Those talks had been scheduled for October in Geneva but were postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Libya has been wracked by violence since a NATO-backed revolt ousted leader Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011. The latest war — launched by Haftar in April 2019 just weeks ahead of a UN-sponsored peace conference — has left both sides reliant on foreign powers contesting the spoils in the oil-rich country.