Libyan rival factions sign deal to hold national elections within 24 months
Rival political factions in Libya have signed a deal in Tripoli aimed at holding legislative and presidential elections within two years. The agreement was signed at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya in the capital on Sunday, following an earlier draft prepared by the UN-backed 4+4 committee in Tunis on 20 August. It sets out a timeline for elections under a single executive authority within a period not exceeding 24 months.
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Walid Ellafi, the state minister of political affairs and communications in the internationally recognised Government of National Unity, said the deal provides for legislative and presidential polls within that timeframe. The 4+4 committee included four representatives from the House of Representatives in eastern Libya and four from the High Council of State linked to the government in the west. Shibani AbuHamoud, who heads the general delegation of forces aligned with Khalifa Haftar, said work would continue with the UN mission on a framework within one month to follow up implementation.
The agreement also says that if the House of Representatives and the High Council of State do not approve it within a month, it would be adopted nationally by the parties as a constitutional document and receive international support through the UN Security Council. That detail underlines the attempt to give the deal a formal legal basis even if Libya's rival chambers do not endorse it quickly. It also reflects the continuing role of the UN in trying to bridge the divide between eastern and western institutions.
The deal matters because Libya has been split since 2014 between the internationally recognised government in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Khalifa Haftar. The country has remained politically fragmented since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Muammar Gaddafi, and repeated efforts to organise a presidential election have stalled over disputes between rival camps. Control of state resources and the security environment remain central obstacles to any transition.
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The signing comes after years of mediation efforts by the UN and other actors seeking to unify Libya's institutions. The presence of the 4+4 committee shows that both sides have been involved in a structured negotiation process, but the agreement's success will depend on whether the main political bodies accept it and whether implementation can proceed in a divided and sensitive security setting. The timeline also suggests that the next phase will focus on drafting the follow-up framework and testing whether the parties can maintain cooperation.
What remains unclear is whether the House of Representatives and the High Council of State will approve the deal within the one-month window, and how any interim authority would be chosen and operate. It is also not yet clear how the agreement would be enforced if political resistance emerges or if security conditions worsen. The coming weeks will show whether the deal becomes a practical roadmap to elections or another stalled attempt at compromise.
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