The Libyan government assumed control of the country’s main international airport, taking over from militia fighters who had been providing security for months in the absence of an official force to do the job.
The handover marked a step forward for Libya’s new rulers as they try to stamp their authority on the country and bring under their control the various armed brigades that helped topple long-time ruler Muammar Gaddafi.
Fighters from the powerful Zintan militia took control of the airport, the country’s main air hub, eight months ago in the closing days of last year’s civil war.
In recent months, the militia’s men had demanded that the government shoulder the responsibility of providing security at the airport and relieve them of the duty, or at least give them uniforms and employ them.
The government promised last month to take over security of the airport, but negotiations broke down.
The dispute prompted the head of the militia at the airport to leave his post, highlighting the inability of the central government to function effectively since Gaddafi’s fall.
Last Friday, uniformed government troops took control of the airport, and the former rebels fired celebratory gunshots into the air to mark the occasion.