(VOVworld) - The African Union on Tuesday announced a new initiative aimed at fostering political dialogues between opposing parties in Libya to resolve the 5-year crisis there.

Forces loyal to Libya's UN-backed unity government take town near Sirte (Source: Xinhua/VNA)

AU Chairman and Chad President Idriss Déby said that parties need to put the needs of Libya’s citizens ahead of their own interests. The initiative was unveiled at a meeting of the AU’s High Level Committee on Libya, which was held at the AU’s headquarters in Addis Ababa. The meeting was convened by AU Chairman and Chad President Idriss Déby to review the current situation in Libya and agree on a way forward. Members of the AU’s High Level Committee of Heads of States and Government on the Situation in Libya include: Algeria, the Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Mauritania (Chair), Niger, South Africa, and Uganda. At the meeting, Déby said that one year after the formation of Libya’s UN-backed unity government, deep differences continue to exist. Different groups in Libya with divergent interests have complicated the situation. The Lybian unity government has been hampered by special interests, the advent of the Islamic State militant group, and the scourge of human trafficking.