[Published: Sunday January 19 2020]
Libya rivals to join major powers in Germany
TRIPOLI 19 Jan (ANA) - Libya's warring rival factions are expected to join major powers in Germany in a renewed push to secure a ceasefire to halt the civil war.
The talks follow the collapse of an earlier truce amid recriminations.
The conflict pits powerful General Khalifa Haftar against the UN-backed government in the capital, Tripoli.
Sunday's summit also aims to extract a pledge from foreign powers to honour a UN arms embargo and to halt any further interference in the conflict.
On Saturday, forces loyal to Gen Haftar blocked oil exports from major ports - a blow to the country's main source of income.
And reports on Sunday suggest the general's forces had shut down pipelines in Libya as the conference got under way.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the aim of the conference was to "stop this jockeying for position".
"The people of Libya have suffered enough," he said as he arrived on Sunday. "It's time for the country to move forward."
The meeting is expected to bring the two sides together in Germany's capital Berlin, along with their foreign backers, the UN, and other global powers - including Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.(ANA)
FA/ANA/19 January 2020---
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