But the diplomacy was sidelined by new fighting.
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Libya’s internationally recognised government has asked fellow Arab states to conduct air strikes against Islamic State in the coastal city of Sirte, a cabinet statement said on Saturday.
– At least 106 people have been killed in three days of fighting between Islamic State loyalists and local tribesmen in Libya’s city of Sirte, the Dubai-based broadcaster Al Arabiya reported on Friday citing an unnamed local official.
The activities of the ISIL group in Libya came under the spotlight when reports emerged that the gunman who killed 38 foreign tourists, including 30 British citizens, at the Tunisian beach resort of Sousse on June 26, was trained in a Libyan terrorist camp.
Islamic State launched an offensive to retake Derna this week. The fighting started after the Salafists accused Islamic State of killing a Salafist preacher.
Islamic State established a foothold in Sirte earlier this year and has since expanded in the Mediterranean city, taking advantage of chaos in the oil-rich country.
In response, a group of ultraconservative Muslim clerics in the area refused to pledge allegiance to IS and urged residents to rise up against it. One of the clerics was found dead Monday, setting off the clashes, he said.
The official government has been based in eastern Libya since losing control of the capital Tripoli a year ago to a rival group, which set up its own administration.
But the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), headed by special envoy Bernardino Leon, put a courageous face on the situation after two days of closed-door talks in Geneva.
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“The parties noted the need for urgent progress on the security track of the dialogue process, in parallel to the progress being made on the political front”, the statement said.
