Libya’s rival factions sign deal for unity government

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CAIRO: Representatives of Libya’s dueling parliaments signed a United Nations-brokered agreement on Thursday to form a national unity government.

Negotiations over the agreement, which was signed in Skhirat, Morocco, had been underway for more than a year.

It was finalised after intense diplomacy by Western nations, including the United States that was widely seen as motivated by concerns about the growing strength of a Libyan branch of the Islamic State.

The agreement was signed by deputies representing the rival parliaments.

More than 200 other Libyans, including elected lawmakers and local officials, attended the signing ceremony, according to Naima Jibril, a Libyan judge who attended.