Conflicting factions in Libya are set to resume talks on Tuesday according to officials from both sides, as the death toll in the country reaches almost 700 in the last four months of fighting, reports Reuters.
"The U.N.-sponsored peace talks will take place in Libya on Tuesday unless anything unforeseeable happens," said Emhemed Shoaib, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, which is internationally recognised as the legitimate government of Libya.
The opposing faction, parliament known as General National Congress (GNC), resides in the city of Tripoli, set up after Libya Dawn seized the city last year.
Whilst visiting Tripoli, UN Special Envoy Bernadino Leon confirmed that talks would be starting this week. The United Nations reportedly initially wanted talks to take place in Geneva, but the GNC insisted that they take place inside Libya. Earlier talks held in Septmeber last year ended with no progress made.
The location of the talks has not yet been disclosed. Plans for local ceasefires and prisoner exchanges are thought to be on the agenda, in the first step towards resolving the conflict that has raged across the country.
See more from Reuters here.
The latest announcement comes after a jeep filled with explosives killed two people in Benghazi, as clashes continue. The Benghazi Medical Centre has appealed for emergency supplies to help deal with the crisis. "We've been left alone to face medical disaster," said a paramedic at the centre. "No one has sent help, despite our pleas."
See more from the Telegraph here.