King Salman receives Libya’s Haftar in Riyadh

Riyadh: Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz on Wednesday held talks with Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, with whom he discussed recent developments in the troubled North African country, according to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

The king received Haftar at Riyadh’s Al Yamamah Royal Palace, SPA reported without stating the purpose of his visit or its expected duration.

At the meeting, the king “affirmed Saudi Arabia’s desire to promote Libya’s security and stability and its wish to see the Libyan people enjoy progress and prosperity”, according to a royal statement cited by SPA.

The two men “also reviewed the latest developments in the Libyan arena”, the news agency added without providing further detail.

It was the first time for Haftar, who is affiliated with Libya’s Al Bayda-based government, to be received by the king in Riyadh.

Libya has been beset by turmoil since 2011, when a bloody NATO-backed uprising led to the ouster and death of President Muammar Gaddafi after four decades in power.

Since then, Libya’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of power - one in the eastern city of Al Bayda and another in capital Tripoli - and a host of militia groups.

A National Conference is set to take place next month gathering Libya’s warring factions.

The UN Security Council on Tuesday urged all those attending the April 14-16 conference in Ghadames near the border with Algeria “to come together to engage in good faith in this Libyan-led, Libyan-owned process.”

The UN envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, urged rival factions last week to seize the conference’s “crucial opportunity” to unite the country and chart a roadmap to elections and peace after years of division and chaos.

If the opportunity isn’t seized, he warned that the only options are “prolonged stalemate or conflict.”

The Security Council backed Salame’s efforts “to mediate a political way forward in Libya that would lead to credible and peaceful elections.”