New elections in Libya expected within 18 months

By Nathan Morley

After the signing of a permanent countrywide cease-fire agreement last month in Geneva, this latest development provides more hope that the country is on the path to normality.

Representatives of the internationally recognized Libyan government and Khalifa Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) made the announcement at a United Nations sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunisia.

The dialogue was established by the Berlin Conference Outcomes, and endorsed by the UN Security Council.

A new roadmap addresses the problems of displaced people and tackles the steps needed to be taken for a unified governance framework and to initiate reconciliation.

Prior to the recent ceasefire, the conflict had been especially violent. Libya has been dogged by war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Since then, it is estimated that around 400,000 Libyans have been displaced.

In a separate development, more than 100 migrants were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Libya on Wednesday. According to reports, a six-month-old baby died onboard a rescue ship soon after he and his mother had been plucked from the water.