The bad news continues to outweigh the good in Libya. Among the more positive developments, after a two-day delay, the nine-member Presidential Council headed by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj appointed a 32-member cabinet that will supposedly govern the country, in theory bringing an end to the country’s division between two competing governments. The erstwhile internationally recognized parliament, the House of Representatives (HOR) in the eastern city of Tobruk, is expected to vote on the selection on 25 January.

In another sliver of good news for a country still riven by multiple conflicts, a peace deal has been signed between Jebel Nafusa and Zintan in the west of Libya after 15 months of fighting. Zintani forces, affiliated to the official government in Baida (which in turn is affiliated with the HOR in nearby Tobruk), seized the town in October 2014, causing more than 4,000 people to flee. After four months of talks, they have now agreed to withdraw. (CONTINUED - 1039 WORDS)