Libyen

Libyan field marshal Khalifa Haftar left Moscow on Tuesday without signing a ceasefire agreement aimed at ending nine months of fighting, leaving the future of a fragile truce uncertain. The commander’s abrupt departure in the early hours of January 14 was a setback for an international diplomatic push in recent days, though Moscow insisted it would continue mediation efforts.

Ankara and Moscow have called on the warring parties in Libya to reach a cease-fire agreement by midnight Jan. 12. The call, made in a joint statement by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin, is a clear signal that neither power wants to lurch into confrontation in the oil-rich North African state where they are supporting opposing sides.

Forces aligned with Libya's internationally recognized Government of National Accord said on Tuesday they had withdrawn from the strategic coastal city of Sirte to avoid bloodshed, after their eastern rivals rapidly entered it and took control.

The top UN official in Libya has delivered a stern message urging other nations to stop intervening in the country’s ongoing crisis.

The United Nations Security Council will meet behind closed doors on Monday about the situation in Libya, as Turkish troops began deploying to the country in a bid to shore up the UN-recognised government in Tripoli. The meeting, held at Russia's request, is formally focused on an international conference on Libya that Germany hopes to organise by month's end. So far, no date for the meeting has been announced.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), on Sunday strongly condemned the bombing of a military academy in the capital Tripoli, which according to news reports left at least 30 dead and more than 30 others wounded.

Turkey's parliament has approved a bill to deploy troops to Libya in support of the embattled United Nations-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), paving the way for increased military cooperation despite criticism from opposition lawmakers.

The Arab League called Tuesday for efforts to "prevent foreign interference" in Libya in the wake of military and maritime agreements signed by Turkey with the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli.

The top United Nations official in Libya has condemned recent airstrikes targeting civilian installations that left at least three people dead and several others injured. Ghassan Salamé, head of the UN Support Mission in the country, UNSMIL, called for greater civilian protection following the incidents, which occurred in three locations in the west.

Turkey moved closer to military support for Libya’s internationally recognised government late on Saturday (14 December) when a bilateral deal that provides for a quick reaction force if requested by Tripoli was sent to parliament.