Ministers seek to reinforce drive to cut Libya arms supplies

Foreign ministers and other top officials from about a dozen countries gathered Sunday in Germany to keep up the push for peace in Libya after countries with interests in its long-running civil war agreed to respect a previously violated arms embargo and back a full cease-fire.

The meeting took place during the Munich Security Conference, as Germany and the United Nations sought to keep up a drive to cut off outside military support for the warring parties.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said the agreement on 19 January by leaders in Berlin has been repeatedly violated by continuing arms deliveries and escalating fighting.

Libya has been in turmoil since 2011, when a civil war toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was later killed.

A U.N.-recognized administration which holds the capital of Tripoli and parts of west Libya is backed by Turkey, and to a lesser degree Qatar and Italy, as well as local militias.

On the other side is a rival government in the east that supports self-styled Gen. Khalifa Hifter, whose forces launched an offensive to capture the Libyan capital of Tripoli last April.

They are backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, France and Russia.

Since the Berlin summit, the rival Libyan military factions have met in Geneva in a U.N.-led effort to forge a lasting truce.

A first round faltered when officials concluded negotiations without signing an agreement, though another round of talks is expected next week.

On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council endorsed a 55-point road map for ending the war in Libya and condemned the recent increase in violence in the oil-rich North African country.

The European Union, whose foreign ministers are set to discuss Libya on Monday, is considering whether and how to have naval ships enforce the U.N. arms embargo against Libya.