UN sees hope from talks between Libyan rival parties in Morocco

UN special envoy Bernardino Leon said on Tuesday that there is a "general sense of hope" emerging from the talks between Libyan conflicting parties in Morocco.

Leon told journalists that the draft the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) handed to the rival Tripoli and Tobruk governments' delegations late Monday has resulted in "very positive" mood among the participants.

He insisted on the importance of the security track, stressing the need for "a strong support of the armed groups."

The UN proposal provides for the formation of a transitional government of national unity for a period of one year, where a council of ministers headed by a prime minister and two deputies will have executive authority based in Tripoli.

Libya, a major oil producer in North Africa, has been witnessing a frayed political process after former leader Muammar Gaddafi was toppled during the 2011 political turmoil.

The country is now deadlocked in a dogfight between the pro-secular army and Islamist militants, which has caused a security vacuum for homegrown extremism to brew.

The UN has brokered several rounds of dialogues between the conflicting parties since September, but clashes remained despite a truce agreed on by factions. Endit