UNITED NATIONS, January 25 (Sputnik) — After uncertainty whether the UN-hosted Libya talks would continue, following an attack on the Central Bank in Benghazi, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Sunday announced a new round of dialogue in Geneva in the coming week.
"In addition to the main political track that commenced at the United Nations Office at Geneva on 14-15 January 2015 and resumes on Monday 26 January 2015, another meeting later in the week will bring together municipal and local council representatives from cities and towns across Libya to discuss confidence building measures and ways to implement them," UNSMIL said in a statement.
According to the statement, UNSMIL plans to convene several rounds of talks later with representatives from Libyan political parties, social and tribal forces, as well as the armed groups.
On Thursday, fighters took over the Central Bank building in Libya's second-largest city of Benghazi, threatening to trigger further instability in the country.
Libya has been suffering from social and political unrest for several years, as the Libyan Civil War erupted in 2011 after the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown, with several militia groups becoming involved in the struggle for power ever since.
According to the UN, the conflict led to thousands of casualties and a severe humanitarian crisis. More than 120,000 people have been displaced, suffering from the shortage of food and clean water.
