Participants in UN-brokered talks to end Libya's civil strife Sunday signed off on a draft political settlement for the war-torn country. Members of the internationally recognized parliament, based in the eastern city of Tobruk, as well as deputies who have been boycotting the assembly were among those who initialed the accord in the Moroccan resort of Sukhairat. Representatives of the rival parliament, the General National Congress (GNC) based in the capital Tripoli, stayed away from the meeting. But those signing off on the agreement included delegates from the key western city of Misrata, which has provided much of the firepower behind the unrecognized Tripoli-based government. United Nations envoy Bernardino Leon hailed the development as "one step" but a very important step on the road to peace. The agreement was quickly welcomed by the European Union.
