TRIPOLI, 03 July 2021, (TON): Deputy of the United Nations mission in Libya said “U.N.-sponsored talks aimed at paving the way for elections in Libya in late December failed to find common ground.”

Raisedon Zenenga, assistant secretary-general and mission coordinator of the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), called on participants to pursue the effort, describing the talks as heated debate marked by threats of walk outs.

Zenenga told the closing session “the people of Libya will certainly feel let down as they still aspire to the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December.”

He said “this does not bode well for the credibility and future relevance of the LPDF (Libyan Political Dialogue Forum). I encourage you to continue to consult among yourselves to pursue a workable compromise and cement what unites you.”

The elections would be a critical step in international efforts to bring stability to Libya, which has been in turmoil since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.