Coastal road linking western, eastern Libya reopens

Tripoli: Libyan Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah has announced the reopening of a coastal road that links western and eastern parts of the country after two years of closure.

Since April 2019, when a war between the eastern-based army and the former UN-backed Government of National Accord erupted in and around the capital Tripoli, the road had been closed, reports Xinhua news agency.

"These efforts came after a difficult time, during which the people suffered from painful and grave experiences and the hardships of travelling through alternative routes in order for them to communicate," Dbeibah said on Sunday.

The Prime Minister said that the state of division is over after the reopening of the road and the resumption of a key link between the east and west of the country, calling it an "important historical event in the modern history of Libya".

He also called on the Libyans to "renounce division, forget the grudges, and move towards building the country and achieving stability."

Dbeibah's Government of National Unity was selected by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, ending years of political division in the North African country.