Libya army announces ceasefire after UN meeting

Libya’s army announced a ceasefire on Sunday, joining an Islamist-backed militia alliance in declaring a truce that the UN hailed as a “significant” step towards ending months of violence.
“We declare a ceasefire from midnight [22:00 GMT] Sunday,” the army said, stressing however that it would continue to pursue “terrorists”, as UN-brokered peace talks resume in Geneva this week.
The army also said it would monitor the situation on the ground “to prevent any change in front lines or transportation of weapons and ammunition”, which it would consider a violation of the truce.
Soldiers “have been given the right to defend themselves if they come under fire”, the statement added.

Libyan armed forces spokesman Colonel Ahmed Mesmari said the army was “engaged in pursuing its duty to protect the Libyan people”.
He said the military would “ensure the security and stability of the country and combat terrorism” in Libya.
On Friday, the Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) militia alliance said it had agreed to a ceasefire in the North African country on the condition rival factions respected the truce.
It also pledged to open up “safe passages to channel humanitarian aid”, especially in Libya’s battleground second city of Benghazi.