Merkel brings UN, Libyans, Putin, Erdogan and EU to peace talks

The German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said after discussions with Libyan General Khalifa Haftar that Haftar is prepared to cease fire. Haftar will probably also come to the Libya summit of Chancellor Merkel in Berlin on Sunday.

The discussions in Berlin are a result of the failure of previous discussions in Moscow. It was Haftar who threw a spanner in the works. Last Monday an unsuccessful attempt was made in Moscow to bring the warring parties to a file. Haftar wrote to his "good friend" Putin that he is happy to continue the dialogue and is prepared to come to Moscow for it again.

In the meantime, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has become involved in the situation. Germany is a party with no direct military involvement in the North African country. A large delegation of the countries and international bodies involved has since traveled to Berlin. With the aim of starting a reconciliation process that should ensure an independent Libya.

General Haftar did not want to sign his signature in ceasefire in Moscow. Whether that will succeed in Berlin is not clear. Haftar is fighting with his allies against the government of Fajis al-Sarradsch in Tripoli. He receives support from Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The government in Tripoli is internationally recognized and receives military support from, among others, Turkey and several EU countries. The countries that are actively involved in the conflict in Libya have been invited to the summit. The Kremlin reported that President Putin is participating in the conference in Berlin, which should lead to a peace settlement.

International observers have been worried about Libya for a while. If the negotiations fail again, there is a chance that the battle on the ground will escalate. In that case, Libya can sometimes become a second Syria. Up to now, the international community has mainly been devoted to Libya. EU countries support various groups and groups there; EU and the United States think differently within NATO; the Russians and the Americans support each other militant militia, and the Libyans fight each other by fire and sword.

On behalf of the European Union, EU President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and foreign chief Josep Borrell are present in Berlin. They want to play a "powerful and active" role in contributing to a political solution to the conflict. If the conference yields positive results, the European Commission is ready to pouch to ensure "full implementation". Borrell has even said that the EU also wants to think about deploying a EU peace mission if necessary.