According to reports from Reuters, the Libyan government is involved in direct talks with the East Libyan rebel movement, with both sides sending diplomats to neighboring Tunisia for serious talks.

The Gadhafi regime denied that the talks were ongoing, terming them a lie aimed at weakening the government. Moammar Gadhafi also called on the public to “liberate” the country early Monday morning.

The rebels, for their part, have declined to comment at all on the talks, but have issued statements in recent days suggesting any efforts at talks were doomed to failure. With the rebels again trying an offensive against Zawiya, it is unlikely they would want to confirm the talks.

Both sides seem reluctant to confirm as much, but after months of ugly civil war the nation remains virtually entirely stalemated, with neither side able to make more than modest and extremely temporary inroads into the other’s territory. Whether the talks end in some sort of transitional government or an outright partition, it seems war has taken the conflict about as far as it possibly can.

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