Libya’s east-based forces announce they will abide by a Russia- and Turkey-brokered ceasefire in a last-minute reversal.
FILE - In this Aug. 14, 2017, file photo, rebel Libyan commander Khalifa Hifter, meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia. Libya’s east-based forces have announced that they will abide by a Russia and Turkish-brokered ceasefire starting Sunday, in a last-minute reversal.
If it holds, the ceasefire would be the country’s first break in fighting in months, and the first brokered by international players. It comes as Libya is on the brink of a major escalation, with foreign backers of the rival Libyan governments stepping up their involvement on the ground. Hifter’s eastern-based forces launched a fresh offensive to take the capital in April, sparking international efforts to try to contain the crisis in the North African nation.
A U.N. peacekeeping body has welcomed the development. The United Nations Support Mission in Libya said in a statement that it hopes all parties will demonstrate “complete adherence” to the agreement to stop the violence. The United Nations and European powers, along with Libya’s allies in the region, have been calling for a peace summit to happen in Berlin early this year that would bring together the leaders of the rival governments.
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