Gambia has ordered the Libyan embassy in Banjul to shut, a diplomatic source said Wednesday, banning it from resuming work until a stable regime has been installed back home. The foreign ministry sent a letter to embassy staff ordering operations to cease "until there is a stable and permanent government in Tripoli", a source at the mission told AFP.
"The embassy ceased operation on Tuesday and is now being guarded by security guards," the source said. "Gambian security agents including the police took an inventory of the assets within the embassy," he added. The source, whose information could not immediately be confirmed with the government, said no Libyan embassy staff had been expelled and all remained in Gambia.
Libya descended into chaos after a 2011 Nato-backed uprising toppled and killed dictator Muammar Qadhafi, with heavily armed former rebels carving out fiefdoms across the country. Jihadist groups have exploited the lawlessness, which has prompted a huge influx of migrants trying to make the dangerous crossing to Europe, with shipwrecks leaving hundreds dead and the EU straining to respond.