Egypt’s reopening of its embassy in Tripoli signals regional shift on Libya

The reopening of the Egyptian embassy in Tripoli marks a fundamental political shift, both domestically and regionally, for Libya, analysts say. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty inaugurated the historic embassy building on Saturday, which had been closed for 12 years due to security concerns.

Libya has been politically divided since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with rival administrations formed in Tripoli in the west and Tobruk and Benghazi in the east. Egypt was widely considered to be backing the eastern authority, effectively led by strongman and renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, and his self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), until recent regional developments led Cairo to rethink its approach.

Libyan political analyst Hazem al-Rayes said the reopening of the embassy in Tripoli – which was the seat of the internationally recognised government that Haftar was fighting – is a sign of this. Elias al-Barouni, a political science professor at Libya’s Nalut University, also believes the move goes beyond the resumption of regular consular services in Tripoli.