UN welcomes Libya peace commitments from Berlin summit

Antonio Guterres has asked the warring sides to "accept fully" the summit's conclusions. Libya has had two rival governments since 2014 and General Khalifa Haftar began a military offensive on Tripoli last year.

The United Nations Security Council praised the commitment shown by world leaders to support a plan to restore peace in conflict-torn Libya and urged the warring factions to finalize a ceasefire accord.

The Council released a statement following a behind-closeddoors meeting chaired by Secretary General Antonio Guterres. Guterres told reporters shortly after the briefing that it was critical to move from the current truce that has had some violations to a cease-fire agreement to create "a real political process."

Read more: Who will monitor a Libya ceasefire?

Guterres described Sunday's

Peace Summit in Berlin, which was hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as a "major step" forward, particularly as 12 countries agreed to a 55-point final document plus operational plans. The conclusion means the dozen nations will not get involved in the North African country's internal conflict and support a ceasefire, as well as honor a widely-broken UN arms embargo.

Haftar and Sarraj remain at loggerheads

Various rival factions have been fighting in Libya since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising which led to the ouster and killing of long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country has had two rival governments since 2014. This took another twist when General Khalifa Haftar, supported by an array of militias, launched a military offensive last April, with the objective of capturing Tripoli. Haftar did this despite having commitments to attend a national conference just a few weeks later in the hope of forming a united government, with plans to hold elections high on the agenda.

Read more: Opinion: A glimmer of hope for old-school diplomacy

Libya's east-based government is supported by a number of countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and Russia while the UN-supported Tripoli-based government, led by Fayez Sarraj, is backed by Turkey, Qatar and Italy.

UN chief Guterres said Hafter and Sarraj, who were both in Berlin but refused to communicate, should "accept fully the conclusions of the Berlin summit." jsi/se (AP, AFP, dpa)

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