The League of Arab States (LAS) disclosed on Sunday that leaders from rival factions in Libya have reached an agreement on the necessity of forming a unified government and conducting presidential and parliamentary elections in the country.

The agreement was forged during a meeting of the LAS convened at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, on Sunday.

In a previous statement issued on Saturday, it was mentioned that Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit would convene with Libyan Presidential Council Chairman Mohamed al-Menfi, Libyan House of Representatives Speaker Aguila Saleh, and Supreme Council of State President Mohamed Takala on Sunday to explore avenues for resolving Libya's protracted crisis.

According to the LAS's announcement on Sunday, the agreed-upon points include the formation of a unified government responsible for overseeing the electoral process and delivering essential services to citizens.

Additionally, the leaders concurred on the establishment of a technical committee tasked with supervising amendments to the legislation governing presidential and parliamentary elections. This committee aims to address contentious issues in accordance with existing laws.

Libya has grappled with enduring crises since the aftermath of the NATO-led military intervention and subsequent destabilization of the country in 2011. Despite a historic ceasefire brokered between the warring factions in 2020, underlying differences persist, resulting in the existence of two competing governments.

Previous efforts by the United Nations to reconcile political divisions and facilitate a general election in Libya were hindered by internal discord, leading to the cancellation of the scheduled vote in 2021. (ILKHA)