UN envoy Kobler in Tripoli for unity gov't negotiations

UN envoy Martin Kobler was in Tripoli on Friday to convince the president of the Libyan Parliament, which is unrecognized internationally, to support the proposed unity government to end the chaos in Libya.

The head of the UN Mission for Libya (UNSMIL) is engaged in a race against time to convince the warring parties to endorse this government in two weeks.

Torn by civil war for more than a year, Libya has two rival parliaments, one internationally recognized, based in eastern Libya, and the other unrecognized, based in Tripoli and called the “General National Congress” (CGN) .

“Frank discussions with members of the CGN on the first day of the year,” said Martin Kobler on Twitter after his meeting with the president of CGN Nouri Abu Sahmein.

KoblerSRSG in Tripoli: My firm goal: convince all Libyans to join #LibyanPoliticalAgreement. Looking forward to more visits & discussions

— UNSMIL (UNSMILibya) 1 Janvier 2016

The latter is openly hostile to the national unity government provided for in an agreement signed under UN on December 17 in Morocco by some members of the two rival parliaments.

“We believe that (if) any political agreement will be effective on the ground, it is necessary that all parties take responsibilty for its implementation,” said the president of the unrecognized Parliament.

The UN envoy also held in Tripoli a meeting with representatives of families from the city of Tawerga (272 km east of Tripoli) who were displaced by the conflict.