Flights have resumed between Libya’s capital Tripoli and the eastern city of Tobruk after a break of several years, as the division-plagued country takes a further step towards normalcy. A flight from Tripoli of Libya’s Buraq Air landed late Wednesday in Tobruk, a centre of power of a parallel administration that until recently controlled the east. Tobruk is also the seat of Libya’s elected national parliament. Airport authorities in Tobruk welcomed the resumption of flights after what they said was a “long interruption”, adding that two flights have been scheduled weekly. Oil-rich Libya has been torn by conflict since the toppling and killing of dictator Moamer Kadhafi a decade ago.
In October, rival camps in the east and west signed a truce, setting in motion a UN-led peace process that saw a new interim unity government installed earlier this year. The new executive is charged with organising legislative and presidential elections set for December. The ceasefire agreement included the restoring of domestic air and land links, and discussions are underway on reopening east-west roads.
Flights between the eastern city of Benghazi and the western cities of Tripoli and Misrata have also resumed. Most air links were suspended in 2014 as violent conflict engulfed the country.
