Rival Libya factions sign deal to hold national elections within two years

Published On 30 Aug 202630 Aug 2026.

Key points

• Libya has been divided since 2014 between two opposing administrations: the internationally recognised administration and an eastern administration backed by renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar.
• Representatives of Libya's rival governments have signed a accord to hold national elections within two years after years of political divisions.
• A presidential election has been repeatedly stalled due to political disputes.

For context, the agreement, signed on Sunday, notes legislative and presidential elections will be held under a single executive authority within a "period not exceeding 24 months", according to Walid Ellafi, state minister of political affairs and communications in the internationally recognised Administration of National Unity, based in Tripoli.

Notably, the signing ceremony took place in Tripoli at the United Nations Backing Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) after the UN-backed "4+4 committee" signed an initial draft in Tunis on August 20.

Meanwhile, the committee consisted of four representatives from the House of Representatives, based in eastern Libya, and four representatives from the High Council of State, linked to the Administration of National Unity in the west.

Shibani AbuHamoud, head of the general delegation of Haftar's forces, remarked it would work with UNSMIL on a "framework within one month of the signing of the agreement to follow up on all matters related to its implementation".

Nevertheless, the agreement notes that if the House of Representatives and the High Council of State do not approve the agreement within a month, it would be adopted nationally by the parties as a constitutional document and would receive international backing through the UN Security Council.

Scepticism, nevertheless, remains over the success of the agreement, and analysts stated the real difficulty of who governs Libya in the interim remains as they would control the country's resources and have to accord with a sensitive security environment.

While the UN and other mediators have been trying to unify the country since 2011 after a rebellion toppled and killed leader Muammar Gaddafi, implementation continues to be the biggest challenge. A presidential election has been repeatedly stalled due to political disputes.

In short, rival Libya factions sign deal to hold national elections within two years is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.