France reopens its Libya embassy after 7-year closure

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI (AA) - France on Monday reopened its embassy in the Libyan capital Tripoli after a seven-year closure.

The embassy said in a tweet: "Embassy reopened in Tripoli on March 29, 2021."

Last week Mohammad Menfi, head of the Libyan Presidency Council, told a press conference during his visit to Paris that France’s Embassy in Tripoli would reopen Monday.

In July 2014, amid unrest after the 2011 ouster of strongman Muammar Gaddafi, the embassy closed its doors in Tripoli, but it continued its work from Paris.

Since then, France has supported renegade general Khalifa Haftar's militia with weapons and ammunition.

In July 2016, the French Defense Ministry announced the death of three of its soldiers in the northeastern city of Benghazi, which is under Haftar's control.

On Feb. 5, Libyan delegates elected Mohammad Menfi to head a three-member Presidential Council and Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh the new prime minister.

Elections in the North African country are set for December.

​​​​​​​*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat