UN mediators and Libya’s parliament, at talks in Morocco, presented on Friday a tentative peace deal to the rival Tripoli government, with hopes of approval in upcoming days, AP reported.
Representatives of the rival General National Congress (GNC), based in Libyan capital Tripoli, participated in earlier discussions of the peace deal, and said they would vote Sunday on the newest draft - the fifth in increasingly desperate efforts to restore stability to the country.
Libyan leadership has been split between east and west since last August when Libya Dawn forces associated with the GNC seized the capital, forcing the internationally recognized parliament to flee to the eastern city Tobruk.
For nine months, the UN has been mediating negotiations for a power-sharing deal between the two conflicting sides.
The Libya Dawn militia has in recent days denounced the potential peace deal, saying it “sanctions the creation of a fascist dictatorship under the auspices of the UN,” according to Iranian media outlet Press TV. Dozens of demonstrators gathered earlier this week outside the GNC headquarters in Tripoli to protest the peace talks.
Meanwhile, major world powers including the EU, US, UK, and Turkey, have strongly urged the two conflicting Libyan factions to back the UN-mediated deal, issuing a joint statement expressing “deep concern about the expansion of terrorism in Libya and outside its borders,” reported Turkish Anadolu Agency.
The UN Security Council has also urged conciliation between the Libyan factions, saying there is no viable military solution to the ongoing crisis.
