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Libya crisis: Rome talks hope to produce unity Libya crisis: Rome talks call for 'immediate ceasefire'
(about 7 hours later)
Talks are under way in Italy in the hope of getting Libya's rival factions to establish a unity government and bring a halt to months of chaos. An international conference aimed at ending the civil war in Libya has called on all parties to accept an "immediate comprehensive ceasefire".
The country has two rival governments - one in Tripoli, another in the east. US Secretary of State John Kerry said he expected Libya's rival governments to sign a UN-backed agreement on Wednesday to form a unity government.
But there is growing concern that the Islamic State group (IS), with a stronghold in the city of Sirte, is profiting from the instability. The conflict had "gone on too long", he said, and the power vacuum had been "readily filled by extremists".
US Secretary of State John Kerry is among those at the talks pushing the rival groups to implement a UN plan. Libya has been unstable since Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in October 2011.
Delegates from the two opposing administrations, which are backed by militia groups, agreed after months of talks at a meeting in Tunis on Friday on a date - 16 December - to sign an accord on the unity government. There is growing concern that the Islamic State group (IS), with a stronghold in the city of Sirte, is profiting from the instability.
However, it is unclear how much support in Libya they will have for doing so. Delegates from the two opposing administrations were at the talks in Rome, along with members from Western and Middle Eastern countries and the UN.
Neither of the opposing parliaments in Tripoli and the east has voted to adopt the plan, but it is believed it could be signed in Rome without a formal vote in Libya.
Tough task of leading Libya peace talksTough task of leading Libya peace talks
Who wants what in Libya?Who wants what in Libya?
Mr Kerry said "no-one understands the need" for a ceasefire better than the Libyan leaders, and said the whole process had been driven by them. "Libyans have negotiated with Libyans," he said.
The rival governments agreed at talks in Tunis two days ago to sign the UN-backed political agreement on Wednesday, and Mr Kerry said he expected that to go ahead.
And when the unity government is formed, he said, the international community is "prepared to meet with it rapidly in order to begin to lay out the possibilities for what is needed in order to facilitate their capacity to govern".
Currently, Libya's internationally-recognised government has a parliament based in the eastern city of Tobruk.
In Tripoli, another body - the General National Congress (GNC) - claims to be the legitimate government. Both parliaments are backed by rival militia groups.
Libya is home to a wide range of rival militia groups, many of them Islamist, who have not taken part in negotiations.Libya is home to a wide range of rival militia groups, many of them Islamist, who have not taken part in negotiations.
The UN proposal envisages the establishment of a nine-member presidential council within 30 days alongside a parliament.The UN proposal envisages the establishment of a nine-member presidential council within 30 days alongside a parliament.
Mr Kerry is co-chairing the Rome talks with Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni.
They are joined by other Western representatives and officials from North Africa and the Middle East as well as the UN Libya envoy, Martin Kobler.
The threat from IS has galvanised support outside Libya for a solution.
"Mobilising international support to assist Libyan authorities to take decisive measures to combat, contain and eliminate this imminent danger is a must," Mr Kobler said on Friday.
Libya has been unstable since long-time ruler Colonel Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and killed in 2011.
An Islamist militia took over much of Tripoli last year and the internationally recognised government was forced to flee to the east.