Libya rivals agree to explore ways to end rift: Egypt

Rival powers in Libya have agreed to form a committee to explore amending a UN-backed deal to end the country's political turmoil, Egypt announced yesterday after hosting talks. The head of Libya's unity government Fayez al-Sarraj and rival Army Chief Marshal Khalifa Haftar had been in Cairo this week for talks mediated by the Egyptian army.

The military said in a statement, they agreed to set up a joint committee to formulate amendments to the deal that set up the unity government. Libyan media reported that Sarraj and Haftar did not meet face to face



during the talks in Cairo.

Sarraj's UN-backed Government of National Accord has struggled to assert its authority across the North African country since starting work in Tripoli nearly a year ago. Haftar, whose forces control much of the eastern Cyrenaica region, is backed by a parliament based in the east that has refused to pass a vote of confidence in the unity government.

Tunisia's foreign ministry said that Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt's top diplomats would meet on the 1st of next month in Tunis to discuss the Libyan crisis.