Libya’s UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and the divided country's eastern commander General Khalifa Haftar agreed to a conditional ceasefire and elections at Paris talks on Tuesday, reports FRANCE 24.
"We commit to a ceasefire and to refrain from any use of armed force for any purpose that does not strictly constitute counter-terrorism," the rival leaders said after the talks.
French President Emmanuel Macron hosted the talks, stating that he hoped to “facilitate a political agreement” between the head of Libya's unity government and the powerful Egyptian-backed commander when they met at a chateau in La Celle Saint-Cloud, outside the French capital.
One of the key problems is that Libya numbers two rival parliaments and three governments (the latest was formed in UN-brokered talks and was meant to replace the other two). Haftar rejected the authority of Sarraj’s UN-backed government as his forces gained ground in the east of the country, supported by Egypt and United Arab Emirates.
The Paris talks agreement follows a first contact between Sarraj and Haftar in Abu Dhabi back in May.
That meeting was seen as a tentative step towards reconciliation in Libya, which has been mired in conflict and chaos since the 2011 uprising, when longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown by rebels supported by a French-led NATO air campaign.
Macron pledged during his campaign to make Libya a priority for his administration.