Britain suspends diplomatic activities in Libya
By DPA, IANSSunday, February 27, 2011
LONDON - Britain has shutdown its embassy in Libyan capital Tripoli, temporarily discontinuing diplomatic activities in the troubled north African country, the foreign ministry said.
The embassy’s employees were on board the last of several chartered planes, which flew 53 British citizens and 47 other foreigners to London.
Turkey will in the meantime represent Britain’s interests in Libya. Only one British consul has stayed behind and is working closely with the Turkish embassy in Tripoli, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, British military planes evacuated 150 Britons to safety from a desert area south of the city of Benghazi, Defence Minister Liam Fox confirmed. The Hercules aircrafts landed in Malta.
A warship from the British navy had already brought British nationals from Libya to Malta earlier Saturday. It then headed back towards Libya to pick up any remaining British citizens.
Countries around the world have been evacuating their citizens from Libya, which has seen almost two weeks of protests calling for leader Muammar Gaddafi’s ouster, some of which have reportedly been met with a bloody crackdown by security forces.
