AKIPRESS.COM - The United Nations has proposed a national unity government in Libya in an attempt to end four years of unrest since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi.

The country has been split between an Islamist-backed government based in Tripoli and an internationally recognised government in the country's east - with each side backed by rival alliances of armed factions, Sky News reported.

The UN proposal comes after months of negotiations between delegates from both sides, who have faced pressure from hardliners and from continued fighting on the ground that has halted part of Libya's oil production.

Last week, US Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the governments to act quickly and reach a deal, warning that instability in the country was giving room for extremist groups like Islamic State to expand.

At a news conference in Morocco, UN envoy Bernardino Leon said that Fayez Sarraj, a member of the Tripoli-based parliament, would be nominated as prime minister for the new government.