Libya.. Germany Takes Turn in Bid to Solve Crisis

This noon, Germany confirmed its willing to host a conference on Sunday over Libya to support the United Nations' effort to achieve peace and reconciliation in the country, amid an escalation of violence taking place for months.

Representatives from the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China, Turkey, Italy and the U.N. will be among the participants, said the German government in a statement.

"The goal of this process is, with a group of states and international organizations, to support the efforts of the United Nations for a sovereign Libya and for the reconciliation process within Libya" the German government said.

Germany has also invited Fayez al-Serraj, who heads Al-Wefaq government in Tripoli, and General Khalifa Haftar, who leads the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Earlier, both sides, Haftar and Al-Sarraj have just concluded talks in Russia's capital, Moscow, on a possible cease-fire.

According to media reports, Al-Sarraj signed the truce proposal after indirect talks through Turkish and Russian mediators in Moscow, but Haftar left the Russian capital without signing.

The Russian defense ministry was quoted by Interfax news agency on Tuesday as saying Haftar had been positive about the ceasefire deal and was taking two days to discuss it with tribes that support his forces.

Yesterday, Al-Arabiya news network quoted sources confirming that there were significant gaps in the draft agreement between the parties in Libya that could prevent it from being signed in Moscow.

Hours later, the Libyan national army confirmed that its forces will remain in their locations and will never withdraw from the capital, Tripoli.

Al- Sarraj’s government has been under attack since last April from Haftar’s Libyan National Army, which is based in the east of the oil-rich north African country.