U.N. Envoy Urges Speedy Libya Talks to Curb Migrant Crisis

A U.N. envoy urged Libya's warring factions Friday to speed up peace talks to help curb accidents in which hundreds of migrants have drowned off its shore as well as persistent bloodshed at home.

Bernardino Leon told a news conference in Skhirat near the Moroccan capital that the target was to sign an agreement on the formation of a unity government by September 20.

"The situation in Libya is becoming more difficult... because of the crisis of migration, which is now claiming so many lives," said the UN peace envoy for Libya.

The Libyan Red Crescent said Friday at least 76 people died after a ship carrying hundreds of migrants and refugees sank off the lawless North African country's coast, while the UN warned as many as 200 people on two boats were feared dead.

"So many lives, so many young people, so many hopes lost at sea. It's another reason to expedite our work," said Leon at the start of a fresh round of peace talks, a process launched in January.

"Same things about terrorism. We have seen the fighting in central Libya, in the region of Sirte, becoming more and more difficult," he said.

"The message has to be very strong, 'We have to finish this and we have to finish it now.'"

Leon said the rival parties at the Skhirat talks would hold "more meetings in the following days", while acknowledging "some difficulties".

The aim is to reach agreement on the formation of a unity government in the next two weeks, the envoy said.

"If the agreement is finalized and signed by the 20th of September, by the 20th of October the new unity government will be ready to start operating," said the Spanish diplomat.

"We will not have a vacuum in Libya, and this is very important," he said, ruling out the formation of any military councils to run the country.

"I can tell only you we are only working on the basis of consensus and on the basis of consensual personalities for all the positions, the key positions in the government."

Leon said participants in the negotiations were being asked to propose names for government posts during next week's talks.

Libya has two rival parliaments and governments, with Tripoli controlled by Islamist-backed Libya Dawn forces, and the internationally recognized government operating out of Tobruk, in the far east of the country.

The United Nations has been brokering talks between the rival groups with the aim of establishing a unified government.

The factions agreed in January to set up a unity government to restore the stability shattered since the 2011 revolution which toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

But negotiations on modalities and over posts have run into hurdles.