Rival Libya parliaments meet in Tunis on UN deal

Rival parliaments in Libya are holding talks in Tunisia to discuss a UN-brokered deal to set up a unity government in the North African country.

Members of the two parliaments met in Tunis Thursday in an effort to focus on the peace process ahead of international negotiations in Rome on December 13, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said.

UN envoy for Libya Martin Kobler, who attended the talks along with foreign diplomats invited as observers, said the meeting will continue on Friday.

"I'll go with big confidence in our meeting tomorrow because we are going to define the messages for the meeting in Rome," he said.

"The international community is very interested in this process, in particular the threat emanating from terrorism. There must be a legitimate government very soon," the UN envoy stated.

Libya has been struggling with instability since 2011, when the country’s then dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, was overthrown and armed groups as well as regional factions engaged in a conflict.

The capital, Tripoli, is controlled by a political faction allied to powerful armed forces based in the city of Misrata. The faction has reinstated the previous parliament in the capital.

The internationally-recognized government of Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni is based in the eastern city of Bayda, with its elected House of Representatives in Tobruk.

The Rome meeting will be co-chaired by US Secretary of State John Kerry. Representatives from Britain, France, Russia and China will also take part in the negotiations.

On December 6, the rival sides signed a declaration of principles in an attempt to end the conflict.

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