Second round of Libya talks continue in spite of attacks

A second round of UN-sponsored talks between Libya's warring factions kicked off Friday in the Moroccan city of Skhirat in the hope of resolving the tensions which have plunged the North African nation into civil war.

The current round of talks had been postponed twice this week – once due to the absence of the Tobruk-based parliament's delegation, and a second time due to an attack on Tripoli's Mitigia airport, which caused the arrival of the Tripoli-based parliament's delegation to be delayed.

The first meeting, held on Friday, brought together UN Envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon and the Tobruk parliament's delegation. Leon is due to meet with the delegation from the Tripoli parliament, as well as with civil society representatives.

Talks are expected to last three days, possibility extending beyond that if consensus is reached on a proposed document on the formation of a unity government and security arrangements.

Direct negotiations between Libya's two main warring factions are yet to take place, however.

Abu Bakr Baira, who heads the Tobruk delegation told foreign news media that the talks "won't tackle legislative legitimacy, which remains a major obstacle to negotiations," describing the Tripoli-based assembly being based on manufactured legitimacy.

He urged the Tripoli parliament to withdraw from the political scene, warning that its refusal to do so would "derail the dialogue."

Saleh al-Makhzoum, deputy speaker of the Tripoli assembly, emphasized the need for "direct negotiations with the other parties in order to reach a comprehensive vision on how to avert the current Libyan crisis." He said that he had left the capital while it was "under bombardment by forces loyal to [rival army chief Khalifa] Haftar," but that his delegation was focused on reaching Morocco "despite the attacks."

Last week, Libyan factions held talks in Morocco in an effort to resolve the conflict in the war-torn North African territory, which has been in turmoil since a popular uprising toppled the Gaddafi regime in 2011.

The country's s political divisions resulted in the creation of two rival seats of government, one in Tobruk and one in Tripoli, each vying for legislative authority its own institutions and military capacities.