‘Significant breakthrough’ reached in Libya talks to end chaos
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The United Arab Emirates on Wednesday said talks between two rival Libyan leaders led to a “significant breakthrough” in efforts to end years of chaos that have gripped the North African nation since its 2011 uprising.
Libya TV said Tuesday the two agreed on holding presidential and parliamentary elections next year, but it’s unclear how such a vote would be carried out in the fractured country.
On Tuesday, Libya’s armed forces posted a Facebook photo of Hifter, a powerful general who lived for years in the U.S., and Fayez, the prime minister of the U.N.-backed government in Tripoli.
The UAE Foreign Ministry described the meeting “as an important step on the road to reaching a tangible progress in the political process in Libya.”
The turmoil has transformed Libya into a major conduit for refugees crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, and has allowed the Islamic State group and other extremists to establish a presence there.