Malta now appears to have two Libyan embassies in Attard and Ta' Xbiex, staffed by those loyal to the Tripoli and Tobruk-based governments respectively.

The Charge' d'Affairs for the officially recognised Libyan government in Tobruk Al Habib Al Amin informed The Malta Independent that the Libyan embassy is now based in Ta' Xbiex.

"The Embassy of Libya would like to announce that it is temporarily performing its duties from the Consular Section of the same Embassy which is in Abate Rigord Street, Ta' Xbiex. The telephone numbers are 21 315715 and 21 313072. The fax number is 21 488588.

"Anybody who wished to contact the Embassy of Libya may do so from Monday to Friday from 8am till 2:30pm," Mr Al Amin said.

Last week, Mr Al Amin claimed that the embassy in Attard is being occupied illegally by the Charge' d'Affairs representing the Tripoli government.

The Charge' d'Affairs at the Attard embassy Hussain Musrati has in turn accused the Maltese government of picking sides and not being neutral.

Asked if the government will be expelling the Charge' d'Affairs in Attard, a spokesperson for Foreign Affairs Ministry said "the Government does not recognise any Charge' d'Affairs in the Libyan Embassy in Attard."

Pro-Tripoli faction protest outside of Castille

Libyan protesters loyal to the Tripoli-based government protested outside Castille yesterday over the government's refusal to recognise the Charge' d'Affairs operating from the 'other' Libyan embassy in Attard.

The Charge' d'Affairs in the Attard 'embassy' supports the Tripoli government, which is based around the Libyan militant group from Misrata, Libya Dawn.

The protesters handed in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. In the letter, they expressed their surprise and hurt that the Maltese government has accepted an envoy from the "illegal" Libyan parliament as Charge' d'Affairs of Libya.

The protesters insisted that this Parliament has not achieved the 18% vote participation in the elections and lacked legal status, as confirmed by the Libyan Constitutional Court.

Those taking part in the protest carried placards reading: 'Respecting Libyan constitutional court sentence is respecting democratic rules and law.'