Libya's rival political camps unveil unity government

Libya’s rival political camps on Tuesday announced that they had established a unity government in line with the terms of a UN-backed peace deal aimed at ending years of political deadlock.

In a statement, the newly-formed Presidential Council for the Libyan National Unity Government announced that 32 government ministers had been appointed in line with the UN-backed agreement.

On Sunday, the council had postponed the announcement for 48 hours due to a lack of agreement over cabinet members.

Libya has remained in a state of turmoil since a bloody rebellion — part of the 2011 “Arab Spring” uprisings — ended in the ouster and death of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi.

Since then, the country’s stark political divisions have yielded two rival seats of government, each with its own institutions and military capacities.

The UN-backed agreement calls for a one-year transitional phase to last until elections — along with a referendum on a new constitution — can be held.

It also calls for the establishment of a unity government to run the country’s affairs during the transitional period.

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