By Hadi Fornaji.
Tripoli, 30 July 2014:
The remaining members of the French embassy staff, including Ambassador Antoine Sivan, sailed out of Tripoli . . .[restrict]overnight aboard a French frigate. With them went a number of French nationals as well as two British families working and living in Libya. The frigate is headed to the French naval port of Toulon.
In an announcement, the French Foreign Ministry said that “because of the security situation, the sites occupied by our embassy in Tripoli are temporarily closed. Diplomatic activities are being carried from Paris”.
The statement added that France remained fully involved in trying to bring about an end to the situation and was in close contact in regards to it with both the UN and those of its partners most active in Libya.
The French economic section had moved some months ago to Tunis from where it still operates.
With the French, Americans, Canadians, Germans, and many others now gone, the only two major Western allies of Libya with still functioning embassies in Tripoli are the British and Italians – with the Italians apparently determined to outstay everyone else who might leave.
The UK ambassador Michel Aron tweeted: “A small group of British nationals left #Tripoli today on a French frigate. I am still here & [/restrict]
