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Libya: Tripoli airport re-opens
Tripoli, Aug 11, 2020 - Flights out of the Libyan capital's only working airport have resumed, after a four-month suspension due to fighting and a shutdown to curb the coronavirus pandemic. The first flights took off Sunday from Mitiga airport in Tripoli's eastern...
Libya: Turkish and Italian officials visit Libya’s UN-recognised government
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, whose country is a staunch supporter of Libya's UN-recognised Government of National Accord, began a visit to Tripoli on Thursday. Cavusoglu arrived with his Maltese counterpart Evaris Bartolo, the foreign ministry said in a...
Libyan journalist Ismail Abuzreiba gets 15 years in prison by illegitimate court linked to warlord Haftar
The UN's mission in Libya has voiced "dismay" at the sentencing of a journalist to 15 years in prison in the country's east, controlled by strongman Khalifa Haftar. "UNSMIL is dismayed by the sentencing of the journalist Ismail Abuzreiba to 15 years imprisonment...
Migration: More migrants rescued off the coast of Libya
Lampedusa, Italy, July 29, 2020 - Italy's coast guard said on Wednesday it had rescued nearly 100 migrants on a "half deflated" dinghy off the coast of Libya after authorities in other countries failed to intervene. The coast guard said the inflatable boat was spotted...
Migration: Dozens die each month on Africa’s migration routes
Thousands of migrants have died after suffering "extreme" abuse while crossing Africa, according to a UN report on Wednesday that estimated 72 people perish each month on the continent's routes. There has been considerable focus on the thousands lost at sea while...
Libya: More crimes against migrants in Libya
Tripoli, July 28, 2020 - Three Sudanese migrants were killed in a shooting in Libya after the country's coast guard intercepted them at sea and returned them to shore, the UN refugee agency said Tuesday. The International Organization for Migration said separately...
Migrants currently crossing the Med Sea face imminent danger
Around 100 migrants fleeing war-ravaged Libya have run into difficulty in the Mediterranean and could drown, the UN said Monday, urging a rapid rescue. The arrival of summer and more favourable conditions at sea tends to lead to an increase of attempts to cross the...
France’s Bernard-Henri Levy unwelcome in Libya
Libya's UN-recognised government has disavowed a visit by French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy, a champion of the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi whose standing has plummeted since the uprising. Across Libya, the euphoria of the NATO-backed rebellion...
Libya: More evidence of Russian meddling in Libya
Washington, July 24, 2020 - Russia continues to supply a broad range of arms to Libyan rebels including fighter jets, air defense missiles, land mines, and armored vehicles through the state-backed mercenary Wagner Group, the US Defense Department said Friday. The...
Turkey accuses third parties of conspiring in Libya
Turkey accused third parties of carrying out "doomed initiatives" to make ground in Libya's conflict on Wednesday, as it tried to bolster support for the Tripoli-based government. Turkey supports UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA), which is fighting for...
One step closer to war, Egypt assembly gives Sisi permission to intervene in Libya
Egypt's parliament on Monday greenlighted a possible deployment of troops beyond its borders, after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi spoke of potential military operations in neighbouring Libya. Lawmakers unanimously approved "the deployment of members of the Egyptian...
Libya’s businesses in ruin
Libyan businessman Mahmud al-Sharkassi surveyed the ruins of his factory on the outskirts of war-scarred capital Tripoli, disheartened but determined to get back to work. "This used to be the heart of my project. Everything started here," he said, looking over...
Libya: Sudan nationals headed to Libya as mercenaries captured at border
Khartoum, July 19, 2020 - Sudanese forces arrested around 160 people on the border with Libya who were en-route to the war-torn neighbouring country to work as "mercenaries", a state-linked paramilitary group said Sunday. "The joint security forces stationed at the...
Libya: Some EU countries threaten to impose sections on nations involved in Libyan crisis
Berlin, July 18, 2020 - France, Italy and Germany are "ready to consider" sanctions on foreign powers violating an arms embargo in Libya, a joint statement by their leaders said Saturday. The statement did not directly name any foreign actors funneling arms to Libya...
Libya: Illegitimate parliament in Tobruk invites Egypt to intervene militarily inside Libya
Benghazi, Libya, July 14, 2020 - Libya's parliament has passed a motion authorising Egypt to intervene militarily if needed to safeguard the "national security" of both countries in light of what it termed a Turkish "occupation". The eastern-based legislature backs...
Libya: Haftar’s supporters still insist on a losing strategy, Egypt ups threats of attack
Benghazi, Libya, July 14, 2020 - A war of words was heating up Tuesday in oil-rich and conflict-torn Libya, where two rival administrations are battling for control and tensions have risen between outside forces Egypt and Turkey. The Libyan parliament aligned with...
Libya’s oil production to resume after lifting force majeur
Tripoli, July 10, 2020 - The Libyan National Oil Company announced Friday the resumption of oil production and exports after a nearly six-month shutdown due to conflict dividing the country. "The NOC has lifted force majeure on all oil exports from Libya," the company...
Libya: Air raids against recaptured Al-Watiya airbase
Tripoli, July 5, 2020 - Libya's UN-recognised government Sunday condemned overnight air raids against a recaptured strategic air base in the rest of the country, alleging they were carried out by a "foreign air force". Forces loyal to the Government of National Accord...
Testimonials: Migrants’ nightmares in Libya
Onboard the Ocean Viking, June 29, 2020 - Libya lies behind and Europe ahead though the mist -- rescued migrants can dream a little onboard the Ocean Viking as it drifts somewhere between Italy and Malta. Rescued from two wooden boats, 118 migrants, including a...
Libya: Haftar’s deadly mines
Mines have killed or wounded more than 100 people, including many civilians, south of Libya's capital following deadly combat between rival forces, the UN said Sunday. "Mines and improvised explosive devices (planted) in or near homes have caused more than 100...
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