Egypt reopens embassy in Tripoli after 12-year hiatus — Dawn

Egypt on Saturday reopened its embassy in Tripoli, the capital of Libya, after a 12-year hiatus. The decision marked a step toward rapprochement with the administration based in the west of the country, according to Reuters, as published by Dawn.

A shift in Cairo’s approach

The opening of the diplomatic mission signals a shift in Cairo’s approach. Egypt had been one of the most prominent supporters of eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar. He is a rival of the government operating in Tripoli.

Egypt closed its embassy in the Libyan capital in 2014. At the time, many foreign diplomatic missions ceased operations because of an escalation of the conflict in the country. During that period, rival authorities emerged in Libya in Tripoli and in the east of the country.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

Minister’s statement

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during the opening ceremony that the historical significance of the embassy building corresponds to the deep human and cultural ties between Egypt and Libya.

Libya has been in crisis since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi during the NATO-backed uprising in 2011. In the east of the country operate the Libyan National Army under the command of Khalifa Haftar, the House of Representatives, and the government of Osama Hammad. In the west operate the internationally recognized Government of National Unity led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and the High State Council in Tripoli.