Libya civil war: Rivals to join major powers in Germany

Libya's warring rival factions are joining 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.

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 brings 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.

"We don't lose hope that dialogue will continue and the conflict will be solved," Mr Putin said on Sunday before meeting the Turkish president on the sidelines of the conference.

Mr Erdogan, who has recently sent troops in support of the Tripoli government, said before the meeting that Gen Haftar's "aggressive stance must come to an end".
What is happening in Libya?

Libya has been wracked by conflict since the 2011 uprising which ousted long-time strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

Gen Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) controls much of eastern Libya, and last April he launched an offensive against the country's rival Government of National Accord (GNA) in the capital, Tripoli.