Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


UN to Host New Libya Cease-fire Talks

Reuters

   CAIRO - Libya's warring parties willcontinue talks this month to try to
   reach a lasting cease-fire ina war for control of the capital, Tripoli,
   the United NationssaidSaturday, after a first round in Geneva recently
   failedto yield an agreement.

   The U.N. hosted indirect talks between five officers fromthe Libyan
   National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar, which hasbeen trying to take
   Tripoli since April, and the same numberfrom forces of the
   internationallyrecognizedgovernment inTripoli.

   Fighting has calmed down since last month, althoughskirmishes with
   artillery have continued in southern Tripoli,which the LNA has been
   unable to breach in its campaign.

   Both sides had agreed to continue the dialogue, with the U.N.proposing
   a follow-up meeting on February18 in Geneva, the U.N.mission to Libya
   (UNSMIL) said in a statement.

   It said the two sides wanted people displaced by the war toreturn but
   had been unable to agree on how to achieve this,without elaborating.

   There was no immediate comment from either side in theconflict.

   Blockade

   UNSMIL gave no update on efforts to end a blockade of majoroil ports
   and oilfields by forces and tribesmen loyal to theLNA.

   On Thursday, U.N. Libya envoy Ghassan Salame said he hadtalked to
   tribesmen behind the blockade and was awaiting theirdemands.

   He also said the blockade wouldbe at the top of the agendaat a meeting
   in Cairo on Sunday between representatives fromeastern, western and
   southern Libya seeking to overcome economicdivisions in a country with
   two governments.

   Diplomats said the Cairo meeting would be mainly attended bytechnical
   experts to prepare a wider dialogue to be followed incoming months.

   In a sign that a reopening of ports might not be imminent,tribes and
   communities in oil-rich areas in eastern Libya heldby the LNA said in a
   statement that they opposed resuming oilexports unless Tripoli was
   freed of militias, a demand of theLNA.

   Withdrawal of Syrians

   They also demanded the withdrawal of Syrian fighters sent byTurkey to
   help defend Tripoli against the LNA, which enjoys thebacking of Egypt,
   the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Russianmercenaries.

   Furthermore, they called for what they described as a fairdistribution
   of oil revenues, another demand of the LNA andpeople in the east, where
   many complain of neglect going back toMoammar Gadhafi, toppled in a
   2011 uprising that plunged Libyainto chaos.

   State oil firm NOC, which is based in Tripoli and serves thewhole
   country, sends oil revenues to the central bank, whichmainly works with
   the Tripoli government although it also payssome civil servants in the
   east.

.