Libya's UN-brokered peace talks suspended indefinitely
Xinhua, February 25, 2015 Adjust font size:
Libya's Islamist-backed parliament General National Congress (GNC) said on Tuesday the UN-brokered talks with its rival parliament have been postponed indefinitely, according to a GNC representative in the peace talks.
The GNC in Tripoli said it was informed by the UN special envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon that the dialogue, due on Thursday in Morocco, has been postponed indefinitely, the GNC representative for the dialogue Mohammed Amazb said.
The decision came a day after Libya's internationally recognized parliament House of Representatives, which operates in Libya's eastern city of Tobruk, decided to quit the dialogue, accusing the GNC of spreading "violence, terrorism and extremism."
Libya has been witnessing frayed political process since the 2011 turmoil, which toppled its former leader Muammar Gaddafi, and it is now juggling two rival parliaments and governments.
The UN has held several rounds of dialogue between the conflicting parties since September, but the clashes continued although factions had agreed on a truce.
The protracted conflict in Libya has caused a humanitarian crisis with at least 120,000 people forced to flee their homes, resulting in consequent shortages in both food and medical supplies along with mounting numbers of casualties. Endit