kindness
Libya's rival governments agreed to hold national elections
Two governments, one country. They picked a date instead.
Libya's rival factions signed an agreement Sunday to hold national elections in two years, a step toward ending a decade of division that left the country with two governments at once. The ceremony took place at the United Nations Support Mission to Libya in Tripoli, following more than two years of UN-led negotiations. Libya split in 2021 after election talks collapsed, leaving the internationally recognized government in Tripoli on one side and General Khalifa Haftar's forces in Tobruk on the other. The guns have been quiet for six years, which turns out to be the kind of silence that eventually gets people back to a table. The deal sets a two-year window to resolve electoral law and candidate eligibility. "The agreement demonstrates what can be achieved when Libyans constructively engage in dialogue," said Hanna Tetteh, UN Special Representative for the Secretary General. If parliament stalls within a month, the parties move ahead anyway, backed by the UN Security Council.