India Re-establishes Diplomatic Presence in Libya with New Envoy Appointment
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India has strengthened its diplomatic ties with Libya by appointing a new ambassador, Hifzur Rahman, who is currently serving in Chad. This move comes over a year after the Indian embassy in Tripoli was reopened, following a five-year hiatus due to the country's tumultuous security situation. Rahman is expected to take up his new assignment shortly, according to the external affairs ministry. The embassy was initially reopened in July 2024, with a skeletal staff, including a consular clerk, to maintain operations. The chargé d’affaires, Mohammed Aleem, headed the mission during this period. Since the embassy's closure in April 2019, India's relations with Libya were managed by the Indian envoy to Tunisia. The country's complex security situation has seen thousands of Indian nationals repatriated, including 3,800 in 2014, due to the fragile political and security situation. India's renewed diplomatic efforts in Libya coincide with the National Unity Government's outreach to other countries to reopen their embassies in the country. Despite the security challenges, hundreds of Indians have returned to Libya in search of employment, with an estimated 3,000 nationals still residing in the country. Libya remains divided between two administrations, one based in the east and another in the western capital of Tripoli, following a 2020 ceasefire and the formation of the National Unity Government in 2021. The appointment of a new ambassador is seen as a significant step in re-establishing India's diplomatic presence in the country and strengthening bilateral ties.
