Libya’s unity government has reopened the coastal highway linking the country’s east and west, which was closed for two years due to fighting.
Interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah while announcing that the implementation of another crucial step in a United Nation (UN) peace process, said that the decision would help”‘turn a page” after a decade of conflict.
The highway connects the war-torn North African country’s border with Tunisia to its frontier with Egypt.
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A 300-kilometre stretch between the cities of Misrata and Sirte was cut off in 2019 as eastern-based military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to seize Tripoli.
On Sunday, Dbeibah, who took office in March to lead the country to elections in December, was joined by members of his administration in the town of Buwairat al-Hassoun for a ceremony to reopen the road.
He got behind the wheel of an excavator to shift sand on the western side of the road, which is still blocked in areas controlled by Haftar’s forces.
“The opening of the coastal road is significant and comes as the international community prepares to meet in Berlin,” the US embassy in Tripoli tweeted.
“Libyans and foreign powers alike should focus on encouraging stability through acts like allowing this road to remain open and paving the path for Libyans to have full control over their own affairs, including elections in December,” it added.
