Warring groups in Libya agree to cease hostilities

TRIPOLI－Libya's Government of National Accord, or GNA, agreed on Sunday to truce after the easternbased army of Libya on Saturday announced a cease-fire from Sunday midnight.

The head of the GNA, Fayez al-Sarraj, announced in a statement "a cease-fire from (Sunday) Jan 12 at midnight", underlining however the "legitimate right" of GNA forces to "respond to any attack or aggression that may come from the other camp".

Sarraj said the cease-fire had been accepted in response to a call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who have emerged as key players in the Libyan arena.

Late on Saturday, forces of the eastern Libya-based Haftar announced a conditional cease-fire in west Libya.

"The General Command of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces declares cease-fire and stop of military operations in the western region, starting from 00:01, Jan 12, 2020, provided that the other party commits to cease-fire at this time," the eastern-based army said in a statement.

"The response will be harsh in case of any breach to this truce," the statement said.

The United Nations Support Mission in Libya welcomed the truce and urged the warring parties "to strictly abide by the cease-fire and make a room for peaceful efforts to address all disputes through a Libyan-Libyan dialogue".

The cease-fire will be the country's first break in fighting in months, and the first brokered by international players. It comes as Libya is on the brink of a major escalation.

Erdogan and Putin on Wednesday released a joint statement calling on the rival Libyan parties to establish an immediate cease-fire and to stop all hostilities.

The Tripoli-based UN-backed government welcomed the Turkish-Russian call, stressing the keenness to end the war and resume political process.

Separately, on Saturday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Libyan peace talks will be held in Berlin, adding that Libya's warring parties would need to play a major role to help find a solution.

Russia supports Germany's initiative, said Putin during a news conference after talks with Merkel.

"We believe that Germany's initiative to hold an international conference on Libya in Berlin is timely," Putin said, according to a transcript released by the Kremlin.

"It is necessary to ensure that the participating countries are really interested in initiating a peaceful settlement of the conflict," he said.

The eastern-based army has been leading a military campaign in and around Tripoli since early April, trying to take over the city and topple the UN-backed government.

Thousands have been killed and injured in the fighting, and more than 120,000 people fled their homes.