Libya's internationally recognised parliament on Monday suspended its participation in UN-brokered talks on the future of the war-wracked North African state, officials said. "The chamber of representatives today voted in favour of suspending its participation in the dialogue," with a new round due to open in Morocco on Thursday, MP Issa al-Aribi announced on Facebook.
He did not elaborate but both the LANA state news agency and parliament's own Facebook page confirmed the information. The parliament said it would issue a statement giving the reasons for the decision which came "after last Friday's terrorist attacks in Al-Qoba which killed or wounded dozens of people". The Islamic State jihadist group said it was behind suicide car bombings that the health ministry said killed 40 people, including six Egyptians, in the eastern town.
Another parliamentarian, on condition of anonymity, said the decision to pull out of talks was taken over fears that the international community would exert pressure to include Islamists in a future unity government. Last week's beheading of 21 mainly Egyptian Coptic Christians by IS sparked Cairo to launch air strikes against the jihadists in Libya and call for an international coalition to hit the jihadists.
But UN envoy Bernardino Leon told the Security Council last Wednesday that the only cure for Libya's trauma was political. The international community faces a daunting task to find a political solution to the lawless nation's political and military crisis. Libya is awash with weapons and rival militias are battling for control of its cities and oil wealth.
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