WORLD leaders gathered in Berlin today in a bid to broker a peace deal between Libya’s warring parallel governments.

The United Nations, European Union, African Union and the Arab League sent delegates to the conference, though the chances of progress were unclear.

A ceasefire agreement brokered by Russia and Turkey earlier this month was left unsigned by General Khalifa Hiftar, who heads the Libyan National Army (LNA), which has its government based in Benghazi, in the east of the country.

It was signed by his counterpart from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj.

Pope Francis gave encouragement for a peace deal in his Sunday sermon at St Peter’s Square in the Vatican.

“I strongly hope that this summit, so important, is the start of a path toward the cessation of violence and a negotiated solution that leads to peace and much desired stability,” he said.

Battle has intensified in Libya with Gen Hiftar ordering his troops to advance on the capital Tripoli.

The LNA is backed by Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, while the GNA is backed by Western forces.

Turkey recently mobilised some 2,000 jihadist mercenaries to support the GNA and has previously been accused of breaching an arms embargo.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was crucial that countries comply with the agreement to allow the establishment of a political process between the warring parties.

“At the Libya conference, we must see above all that the arms embargo is once again complied with — it has been agreed in principle at UN level but unfortunately not kept to,” she said.

On Friday LNA forces seized a number of southern oil fields and oil export terminals along Libya’s eastern coast. The National Oil Corporation warned that the move would halt much of the country’s oil production, which provides revenue to the Tripoli government.