A second round of peace talks between Libya's warring factions concluded here today, with the participants condemning the terror attack on a Tripoli hotel by Islamic State group in which three people died.
Participants at the two-day talks facilitated by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) included civil society groups and representatives, who stressed the need to fast-track dialogue to form a unity government.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya (SRSGL), Bernardino Leon, headed the talks.
"The political part finished today. Tomorrow we start separate tracks with municipalities. And then others will follow like political parties, tribal, societal personalities and leaders of armed groups," said Samir Ghattas, UNSMIL spokesperson.
In light of today's attack in Tripoli, the participants called on Libyans to stand united against terrorism and send a clear message that terrorism has no place in a new Libya for which the Libyans have sacrificed so much.
"Such attacks would not derail the political process and would in fact create an incentive for all the Libyan sides to forge ahead with efforts to stabilise the country and prevent the terrorists from taking advantage of the security chaos to consolidate their presence in Libya," said the participants in a statement.
A Twitter account linked to Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack though it is yet unconfirmed whether the IS has a presence in Libya.
The internationally-recognised Abdullah al-Thinni government and the self-declared Libya Dawn had declared a ceasefire on January 18.
Both had agreed to participate in UNSMIL-facilitated dialogue though Libya Dawn wanted the talks held inside Libya.
The UN talks aim to secure a phased withdrawal of all armed groups from all major towns and cities, including Tripoli.
Round 1 of Geneva talks had ended with an agreement to have a roadmap for a unity government.
