Malta’s ambassador to Libya, Mannie Galea, has arrived back in Tripoli, this paper has learnt. A Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson yesterday confirmed with The Malta Independent that Mr Galea travelled back to Libya in the last couple of days but could not give specific details.

It is understood that the Maltese Ambassador flew to Tunisia and travelled to Tripoli by car. Foreign Affairs Minister George Vella said last week that he had not allowed the Ambassador to take this route because of the heightened risk at the time.

Mr Galea was invited by Dr Vella to travel to Malta to attend the Ambassador’s conference. He was due to leave on Sunday 13 July but the Tripoli International Airport was attacked by militants on that day and the airspace was closed. The embassy’s First Secretary, Patricia Borg, was on vacation leave and also could not travel back to Libya.

Malta’s ambassador to Libya, Mannie Galea

Speaking at a press conference last week, Dr Vella said the Ambassador was helping out as best he could from the crisis centre that was set up at the ministry. He also said that Ambassador would be heading back to Tripoli at the first available opportunity, as long as it was safe to do so.

Tripoli, or at least the area around the airport has been in chaos for the past week and a half after rival militias fought over control of the airport. A number of Maltese workers and foreign nationals boarded flights out of the country, with many landing in Malta.

The Foreign Affairs Minister insisted last week that, so far there is no need for evacuation but Virtu Ferries said it had a catamaran on stand-by.