(14 Jan 2015) The UN envoy to Libya is calling for a unity government as he opens meetings in Geneva with the country's warring political factions.
But Bernardino Leon has warned that it will be a long process, with the gap between parties becoming "more complicated."
The talks here in Geneva aim to resolve Libya's political and security crisis.
But Bernardino Leon has warned that the process is "not going to be easy."
One of Libya's two rival parliaments won't even decide until Sunday whether to participate.
"This is a process, this is going to take time. We are not expecting to have a breakthrough tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. There is a gap between the parties which is becoming more complicate(d). There is more fighting on the ground, so we will try to facilitate these talks and to help them to reach common ground," says Leon.
Libya has been mired in its worst fighting since Moammar Gadhafi's regime was overthrown in 2011.
Two rival governments are each backed by an array of militias fighting it out across the country, and extremists in the east have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
"If all these elements, the political and the security were not enough, now we have also a very serious economic and financial chaos, we have recently a statement by the governor of the central bank of Libya alerting that the country was really running out of time," says Leon.
"We need to address all this if we want to avoid this total chaos in the country."
The United Nations has invited political and civil society representatives to the first round of talks.
Further sessions are expected to be held next week, and will include representatives from selected municipalities across Libya.
At a later date, political parties, armed groups, as well as tribal and societal leaders are expected to be included.
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