Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said the Libyan “people want to hear good news,” and stressed that only dialogue can solve the Libyan conflict as talks in the Moroccan capital Rabat began on Sunday. Noting that stability in Libya would positively affect that of Morocco, Bourita said that dialogue between parties to the Libyan conflict represents the way to “trust-building, maturation of ideas and reaching understandings.” In a press statement, the Moroccan foreign ministry said that the Rabat talks aim to “open negotiations to solve disagreements between the Libyan factions.” The two major parties to the Libyan conflict are Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) and the troops of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA). Egypt, France, Russia and the United Arab Emirates back the LNA—which is allied to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives—while the GNA is backed by Qatar, Turkish troops and thousands of Syrian mercenaries. In 22 August, both parties to the conflict declared a ceasefire that ended fears about possible GNA aggression against the port city of Sirte, 230 miles (370 kilometres) east of the capital Tripoli, and Al-Jufra, which has a major military airbase. GNA Premier Fayez Al-Sarraj announced on Facebook that he "issued instructions to all military forces to immediately cease fire and all combat operations in all Libyan territories." Speaker of the east-based parliament Aguila Saleh also announced a ceasefire, which was welcomed by world leaders. Both sides agreed to hold elections in March 2021.
