Military officers from rival factions in Libya’s conflict began UN-led talks in Geneva on Monday aimed at securing a ceasefire after 10 months of fighting on the outskirts of the capital, Tripoli.
The so-called “Libyan Joint Military Commission” includes five senior officers from commander Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and five officers aligned with the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).
The Geneva talks are aimed at trust building and working out a monitoring mechanism for a ceasefire, diplomats said, according to Reuters. The Geneva talks are being moderated by UN Special Representative Ghassan Salame.
Haftar has been waging an offensive since April to take control of Tripoli.
The military talks come two weeks after an international summit in Berlin that was focused on charting a path towards a political solution and enforcing a UN arms embargo that has been routinely violated.
The LNA had delayed appointing representatives for the military talks, but Haftar agreed after holding talks with Salame in Rajma on Saturday.
There was an escalation in fighting late last year, and a truce brokered by Russia and Turkey from Jan. 12 has been repeatedly violated.
The United Nations says weapons and fighters have continued to enter Libya since the Berlin meeting.
