Abu Dhabi - Fayez al-Sarraj, the head of Libya's UN-backed government, has met renegade general Khalifa Haftar in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in a rare meeting between the key figures from two rival Libyan camps. "The camps existing on the ground already show horrible and catastrophic conditions. The idea to set up camps ... would be an utter disregard of circumstances for the people," Sigmar Gabriel, who is also Germany's Vice Chancellor, told reporters. The meeting came after months of international pressure and a failed attempt at negotiations in Cairo in February. According to The National News portal, the rival figures met face to face "thanks to international and Arab mediation", according to Libya's Lana news agency. It was the first time they had met since early 2016. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi was scheduled to arrive in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, but it was unclear whether he would attend the talks. The UAE and Egypt have led the mediation efforts between the two sides, with both men making separate trips to Abu Dhabi over the past six months. In February, they were set to meet in Cairo to discuss compromised amendments to the Libya Political Agreement of 2015. Brokered by the UN, the agreement created a weak unity government. But Field Marshal Haftar refused to meet prime minister Fayez Al Sarraj in the end.
