The leadership in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, have denied a UN envoy permission to land in the country.
Martin Kobler, the UN envoy, stated on his Twitter account that he had to cancel his trip to Libya and that he “wanted to help pave the way to peace”.
Kobler has been pushing for a unity government between the rival parliaments in Tripoli and in the country’s east.
He had earlier been optimistic that the prospect of a unity government was only “a matter of days, not weeks” away.
The push for this government has been accelerated with the rise of ISIS in the North African country.
Kobler said that “it is urgent to stop the expansion” of ISIS into neighboring countries such as Tunisia.
Tripoli authorities could not be immediately reached for comment on their refusal to allow Kobler to land. But a Tripoli-based media official, Jamal Zubia, said on his Facebook page that the U.N. envoy “will not visit Tripoli before Monday.”
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