German UN official to take up Libya post in coming days — UN

UNITED NATIONS/DUBAI — Veteran German diplomat Martin Kobler will take over mediating stalled Libya peace talks in the coming days, the United Nations said on Wednesday, replacing UN envoy Bernardino Leon, who is set to head a United Arab Emirates diplomatic academy.

The UN Security Council last Friday approved Kobler's appointment as head of the UN political mission in Libya. Leon is due to give his final briefing to the council on Thursday.

"The leadership transition will take place in the coming days," UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement, adding that he was "grateful for [Leon's] dedicated service and effective leadership."

Kobler, a German career diplomat, is no stranger to tough UN jobs. He most recently headed the UN peace-keeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and was also the UN special envoy to Iraq and deputy UN representative in Afghanistan.

Libya has fallen into turmoil with its internationally recognised government and elected parliament on one side and a self-styled administration holding Tripoli on the other, each backed by regional, tribal or Islamist armed factions.

After months of negotiations, Leon has presented Libya's rival factions with a proposed national unity government, but hard-liners on both sides have resisted power-sharing and talks are at a standstill.

The conflict has pushed the North African state to the brink of collapse four years after the fall of longtime leader Muammar Qadhafi. The chaos has allowed Daesh militants to gain a foothold in the country.

Emirates Diplomatic Academy said on Wednesday that Leon will become director-general in December. The academy's board of trustees is chaired by the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahayan s and trains future diplomats.

Sheikh Abdullah said Leon's "deep experience and understanding of global geopolitics" would be a "rich resource for our new generation of diplomats”.

The United Arab Emirates, along with Egypt, backs Libya's internationally recognised government led by Abdullah Al Thinni which is operating in the east.