Libya’s rival factions sign UN-backed deal to pave way for national elections

Representatives of Libya's rival political factions signed a UN-backed agreement on Sunday aimed at resolving long-standing disputes that have blocked national elections. The deal, reached after months of talks in Rome and Tunis, was signed at the headquarters of the UN Support Mission in Libya (Unsmil) in Tripoli in the presence of mission chief Hanna Tetteh. Under the agreement, electoral laws will be amended to allow presidential and parliamentary elections to be held under a single executive authority, with parties committing to a 24-month timeline. Ms. Tetteh described the signing as an important step but warned that it must be translated into tangible actions at the national level. Libya has been mired in instability since the 2011 uprising that toppled Muammar Qaddafi, leaving the country divided between competing administrations in Tripoli and the east. This agreement is separate from a diplomatic initiative led by Massad Boulos, a senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, which seeks to encourage rapprochement between the rival authorities.