The news that the two remaining diplomats at Malta’s Embassy in Tripoli have been recalled home is worrying and shows the extent of the deteriorating situation in Libya.
The Foreign Ministry said the diplomats in Tripoli had been subjected to increasing political pressures over the last days in the exercise of their official duties.
It said the Maltese diplomats were warned by the Tobruk government not to communicate in any way with the self-proclaimed Parliament in Tripoli while those representing the Parliament in Tripoli were piling pressure on the Maltese diplomats and authorities to recognise the Tripoli government.
In view of this worsening situation, Foreign Minister George Vella took the right decision to recall the diplomats from Tripoli because it looked increasingly likely their personal safety was in danger.
This effectively means Malta now has no functioning embassy in Libya, which will make communicating with the two main sides in this conflict even more difficult.
The situation in Libya is both complicated and extremely worrying. Three years after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, the country is on the verge of a full-scale civil war. It has two rival parliaments and governments, one in Tripoli – which is under the control of an alliance of Islamic militias from Misurata – and the other in Tobruk, where the internationally-recognised administration is based. The two sides are engaged in a bloody conflict that is tearing the country apart.
To make matters worse, the eastern city of Benghazi, where the revolution was born in 2011, is under the control of Ansar al-Sharia, a jihadist movement with links to al-Qaeda. Al-Sharia is battling the forces of retired general Khalifa Haftar, who has pledged to rid Libya of all Islamist militias.
Reconciliation and dialogue between the main factions in the Libyan conflict, even though this now seems increasingly difficult, if not impossible, is the only way forward to resolve this crisis and the international community must do more to bring this about.
While it is highly unlikely that al-Sharia will discard its jihadist ideology and agree to some sort of power-sharing deal, the main global players such as the UN, the EU, the US and the Arab League must do more to encourage Tripoli and Tobruk to enter into talks aimed at ending the violence and strike a power-sharing deal.
Unfortunately, the two sides are reluctant to budge from their positions and believe they can win this war.
Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni, the head of the internationally-recognised government, has told UN envoy Bernadino Leon that Tripoli is controlled by extremists and the recent bombing will stop only when they surrender.
On the other hand, Omar al-Hasi, the leader of Libya Dawn, whose militias control the capital, has accused the elected Tobruk-based government of being led by Gaddafi loyalists.
It is also widely believed that Qatar and Turkey are aiding Libya Dawn while Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are arming the Tobruk forces; this has only aggravated the conflict.
While al-Sharia in Benghazi must be taken on militarily, there can be no military option for the rest of the conflict. Outside powers must stop arming the Tripoli and Tobruk factions and instead encourage them to form a government of national unity.
The prospect of a failed State in Malta’s back yard – which is where Libya is heading if nothing is done – is too awful to contemplate. A mass exodus of refugees and a haven for al-Qaeda or even for Isis is the likely scenario, which will have terrible consequences for Malta and its economy and security, as well as the entire Mediterranean.