UN urges rival Libya forces to agree truce

The United Nations has called on forces loyal to Libya’s internationally recognised government and a rival administration to commit to a humanitarian truce by midnight yesterday.

The UN mission in Libya “calls on all parties to accept a humanitarian truce for Eid Al-Adha”, it said in a statement on Twitter late Thursday, referring to the Muslim festival of sacrifice that begins on Saturday.

“The mission hopes to receive written agreement from the parties no later than midnight (2200 GMT) on Friday”, the statement said.

Strongman Khalifa Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive against Tripoli -- seat of the Government of National Accord -- in early April.

Over the past four months, 1,093 people have been killed in fighting, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), with forces loyal to the GNA keeping Haftar’s troops at bay on the southern outskirts of the city.

UN envoy Ghassan Salame has already called several times for humanitarian truces, without success.