The Libyan National Army (ANL) of Marshal Khalifa Haftar and the government of national understanding (GEN) in power in Tripoli have agreed to resume negotiations for a cease-fire, the United Nations announced after several weeks of fighting on the outskirts of the capital.
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In a statement released Monday evening on the internet, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya is pleased that they have agreed to resume these discussions in a "5 + 5" format , involving five senior officers from both sides.
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The ANL, which holds the east of the country, has been seeking to seize Tripoli since April 2019. The forces loyal to the GEN, which are supported by Turkey, recently chased it from several areas close to the capital, but Haftar's men, supported by the United Arab Emirates, Russia and Egypt, say they have regained ground on Monday.
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Two cease-fires have already been concluded this year, but have remained unheeded. Ghassan Salame, Special Representative of the UN, resigned in March and the UN Security Council has not yet designated his successor, which does not facilitate peace efforts. Foreign interference further aggravates the military situation. The United States announced last week that 14 Russian fighter jets had been flown to an ANL air base in central Libya.
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