UN Libya Envoy 'Quite Optimistic' on Ceasefire Prospects

The UN's Libya envoy said Wednesday she was "quite optimistic" about the prospects of a ceasefire emerging from ongoing talks between the two warring factions.

Two days into the talks at the United Nations in Geneva, scheduled to last until Saturday, the two sides agreed to open internal land and air routes.

"I'm quite optimistic... there is an air of seriousness and commitment," Stephanie Williams, the head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), told a press conference, on the prospect of a ceasefire.

"I am pleased to report that the two sides have reached agreement on several important issues which directly impact the lives and welfare of the Libyan people," she said.

There was a "real determination to preserve the country's unity and sovereignty", she added.

Libya has been wracked by conflict since the overthrow and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. Rival power centres as well as a myriad of militias are vying for control, while human rights violations are often overlooked.

The two main factions are based around the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord in Tripoli and a parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk.

Eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar, backed by Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive on Tripoli in April 2019.