Moscow talks fail to agree ceasefire deal for Libya

LIBYA’S RIVAL leaders have left Moscow without reaching agreement on a ceasefire deal proposed by Russia and Turkey in an effort to bring an end to the country’s long-running civil war.

Fayez Sarraj, inset, the head of Libya’s UN-recognised government in Tripoli, and his rival Khalifa Hifter arrived in Moscow on Monday to discuss a truce with top diplomats and military officials from Russia and Turkey.

The talks lasted about seven hours, and Mr Sarraj and Mr Hifter did not meet directly.

After the meetings, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu, announced that

Mr Sarraj signed the draft document spelling out the details of the proposed ceasefire deal, while Mr Hifter requested more time to consider it.

Yesterday morning, Russia’s foreign ministry said Mr Hifter left Moscow without signing the deal. Russian news agencies reported that Mr Sarraj had also left.

Mr Lavrov said that efforts to broker a peace deal would continue.

“We all work in the same direction and urge all the sides (of the conflict) in Libya to negotiate instead of trying to sort things out violently,” the minister said yesterday.

Tripoli-based official Khaled al-Mashri told Libya al-Ahrar TV that Mr Hifter asked for four days to consider various sticking points in the ceasefire deal.

He said he expects invitations to a peace conference in Berlin to follow later this week.

The negotiations followed a truce proposed by Russia and Turkey that began on Sunday, the first break in fighting in months.

There were immediate reports of violations by both sides, however, raising concerns it might not hold.

Libya plunged into turmoil after the 2011 civil war that ousted and killed long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The conflict had been on the brink of a major escalation.

Various foreign players back Libya’s rival governments, and they have recently been stepping up their involvement in the oilrich nation’s conflict.

Turkey and Russia back the opposing governments in Libya.

Their negotiations follow deals struck by the two nations to coordinate their action also in Syria, where Moscow has shored up President Bashar Assad’s government and Ankara has backed his foes.