UN Libya Envoy Asks to Leave His Post, Citing Health Issues

(Bloomberg) -- The UN envoy to Libya, Ghassan Salame, has asked to be replaced due to his failing health, delivering a blow to international attempts to end the oil-rich country's civil war.

Salame, who was named envoy in 2017 and headed the UN Support Mission to Libya, said he is no longer able to sustain the intensity of work needed to fulfill his mandate, in a statement on his Twitter account.

Salame's move to step down comes just days after the latest talks in Geneva to agree on a cease-fire in Libya ended without success.

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Ending the years-long conflict in the North African nation has become more complex following the recent intervention of the Turkish military on behalf of Libya's internationally recognized government.

Together they are attempting to thwart an offensive to seize the capital led by eastern strongman Khalifa Haftar, who's backed by Russia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

The battle for the capital has impacted oil supply. The OPEC producer has lost almost 1 million barrels a day since the start of the year because of the conflict.

To contact the reporter on this story: Dana Khraiche in Beirut at dkhraiche@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chakradhar Adusumilli at cadusumilli@bloomberg.net, Greg Chang

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