Libya strongman Haftar in Greece ahead of peace meeting

Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar was holding talks in Athens on Friday two days ahead of a peace conference in Berlin, which he and the head of Tripoli's UN-recognised government Fayez al-Sarraj are expected to attend. Haftar thanked Vladimir Putin, his "dear friend", for his efforts to bring peace in Libya after Moscow announced that the Russian leader would attend Sunday's conference.

However, Russia's acting foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Haftar and Sarraj could not even bear each other's presence, let alone talk. "So far ties between them are very tense, they don't even want to be in the same room to say nothing of meeting each other," Lavrov said.

World powers are trying to mediate a lasting ceasefire nine months after Haftar's forces launched an assault on Tripoli, sparking fighting that has killed more than 280 civilians and 2,000 fighters and displaced tens of thousands. An interim truce that came into force on Sunday has mostly held, despite accusations of violations from Haftar's forces and the rival Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA).

Haftar walked away from ceasefire talks in Moscow on Monday, but German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas visited his eastern Libya stronghold of Benghazi on Thursday to persuade him to join the Berlin conference. He flew to Athens on a surprise visit on Thursday, with Greece seeking to build ties with Haftar after the GNA signed a maritime and military cooperation deal with Turkey in November.

Athens is vehemently opposed to the contentious Turkish deal with Libya, which claims much of the Mediterranean for energy exploration in conflict with rival claims by Greece and Cyprus. Haftar met Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and they were holding further talks on Friday.

He is also set to meet Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Greece is seeking to take part in the Berlin talks but has yet to be invited.

Haftar agreed in principle on Thursday to go to Berlin after Sarraj signaled he would be there. But Sarraj, whose GNA did sign up to a permanent truce deal in Moscow, cast doubt over Haftar's intentions after he refused to sign.

The oil-rich North African state has been in turmoil since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi. Numerous countries have since become involved -- the GNA is backed by Turkey and Qatar, while Haftar has the support of neighboring Egypt as well as Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

The United Nations said the Berlin talks aim to end foreign interference and division over Libya. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will take part and voiced support for truce efforts, the State Department said on Thursday.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on Wednesday for firm support for the peace talks and asked for a halt in the fighting. In a report to the Security Council, he warned against "external interference", saying it would "deepen the ongoing conflict and further complicate efforts to reach a clear international commitment to a peaceful resolution of the underlying crisis".

The conference will aim to agree six points -- including a permanent ceasefire, implementation of a much-violated UN arms embargo and a return to political efforts for peace, Guterres said. Turkish troops have been deployed to support the GNA, while Russia, despite its denials, is suspected of supporting Haftar with weapons, money, and mercenaries.

Some 11 countries and several international organizations are set to attend along with the Libyan parties. The fighting has spurred a growing exodus of migrants, many embarking on rickety boats towards Italy.

Nearly 1,000 intercepted at sea have been forced to return to the war-ravaged country since January 1, mostly ending up in detention, the UN's International Organisation for Migration said on Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)