Germany’s foreign minister on Monday voiced “cautious optimism” over efforts to end the conflict in Libya, as top diplomats sought to foster a peace drive given new impetus by a series of talks in recent weeks.

A Russian cargo plane carrying Syrian fighters landed in Libya’s Sirte province, controlled by warlord Khalifa Haftar, the Libyan army said on Saturday.

The United Nations and Germany are co-chairing a ministerial meeting on Monday of world powers and other countries with interests in Libya’s long-running civil war in hopes of promoting a cease-fire between its rival governments.

Two days of talks between representatives of Libya’s rival administrations that took place in Egypt this week were “positive” and paved the way for further face-to-face discussions, the United Nations said in a statement yesterday.

The Sirte-Jufra Operations Room of the Government of National Accord said it rejects the talks held by Libyan parties abroad if there is no one representing it in these talks.

Afriqiyah Airways announced the complete suspension of its flights from Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli to Sabha Airport in south Libya, following the prevention of a plane, carrying 100 civilian passengers, from landing at Sabha Airport by Haftar’s militias.

The United Arab Emirates continued to supply military equipment to Libya’s eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar despite a United Nations embargo on weapons transfers to the country, according to a confidential UN report.

The Ministry of Defence of the internationally recognized Libyan government announced yesterday the opening of enrolment for those wishing to join its armed forces.

Negotiations between Libya’s warring factions have ended with a recommendation to release military prisoners by the end of October and resume high-level talks next week.

Khalifa Haftar’s LNA used this western Libyan town to launch his assault on Tripoli. In its wake, MEE finds a traumatised place littered with mass graves