Members of Libya's parliament attend the swearing in ceremony for the country's new interim prime minister in the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk on March 15, 2021. (MOHAMMED EL SHAIKHY / AFP)

Libya’s first unified government in seven years was sworn in, as a political reconciliation that seeks to end almost a decade of conflict in the OPEC member gathers pace.

Officials took the oath of office Monday at the parliament in Tobruk, eastern Libya. The new cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, is set to take over duties from the previous internationally recognized government in the capital, Tripoli, the following day.

Libya had been split between dueling eastern and western administrations since 2014, with the most recent fighting pitting eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar against the Tripoli-based government

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The North African nation fractured after the NATO-backed uprising that ousted dictator Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011, unleashing a string of conflicts. Libya had been split between dueling eastern and western administrations since 2014, with the most recent fighting pitting eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar against the Tripoli-based government.

Dbeibah, who was chosen in February by delegates to a United Nations-supported forum in Geneva, will be working alongside a three-member presidential council to steer the country to December elections. That body was sworn in earlier Monday by the constitutional court in Tripoli.

READ MORE: Libya's newly appointed PM confirms starting to form unity govt

A unified government could mean stability for oil in Libya, which is home to Africa’s largest reserves. The state-run National Oil Corp. is targeting raising production to 1.45 million barrels per day by the end of 2021.