EU nationals urged to flee Libya fighting

France, UK, Germany and Italy urge their nationals to get out of Libya as heavy fighting rages between militias

Fighters from the Islamist Misarata brigade fire towards Tripoli airport in an attempt to gain control from the powerful Zintani militia, in Tripoli, Libya.
Fighters from the Islamist Misarata brigade fire towards Tripoli airport in an attempt to gain control from the powerful Zintani militia, in Tripoli, Libya.

European nations have called on their citizens to leave Libya as heavy fighting between troops loyal to a renegade general and militias in the eastern city of Benghazi left more than 36 people dead.

France on Sunday called on all its nationals to leave the country due to the deteriorating security situation.

"All our nationals are invited to get in touch as quickly as possible with our embassy in Tripoli," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The US, the UN and Turkey have pulled their diplomats out of the North African country.

Germany and Spain also issued warnings to their citizens to leave. Italy's Foreign Ministry said it helped more than 100 Italians leave Libya and would help other countries evacuate their citizens as well.

“The situation is extremely unpredictable and uncertain,” the German foreign ministry said. “German nationals are at increased risk of kidnapping and attacks.”

“Given the deteriorating security situation, France requests its nationals to leave Libya” a similar statement today from the French Foreign Ministry said.  It called on French citizens in the country, estimated at around 100, to contact the French embassy for help leaving.

The Dutch authorities likewise issued an “urgent” appeal to its remaining citizens in the country to depart.  The Dutch Foreign Ministry said SMS messages and emails had been sent to those registered with the Dutch embassy.

For their part, the German, Dutch and Austrian embassies are to temporarily close and relocate elsewhere once their citizens have gone.

The US evacuated its embassy on Saturday, driving diplomats across the border into Tunisia under heavy military protection because of clashes near the embassy compound in Tripoli.

A British embassy convoy was hit by gunfire during an attempted hijacking outside the capital on the way to the Tunisian border, but no-one was injured in the incident, an embassy official said on Sunday.

"It was an attempted hijack as the convoy was on its way to the Tunisian border," the official said. "No one was injured but vehicles were damaged."

Britain's Foreign Office advised its citizens on Sunday to leave the country immediately because of the "greater intensity of fighting" in Tripoli and the likelihood of further attacks on foreigners.

The Libyan government said more than 150 people had died in Tripoli and Benghazi in two weeks of fighting.

In Tripoli, 23 people, all Egyptian workers, were killed when a rocket hit their home on Saturday during fighting between rival militias battling over the city's main airport, the Egyptian state news agency reported.

Since the clashes erupted a fortnight ago, 94 people have died in the capital, and more than 400 have been injured as militias exchanged rocket and artillery fire across southern Tripoli, the Health Ministry said.

Another 55 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in Benghazi since the clashes have intensified over the last week between regular forces and militias who are entrenched in the city.

"Most of the victims we have noticed are civilians as the fighters have their own hospitals on the battlefield," a Benghazi medical source told Reuters news agency.

A new Libyan parliament was elected in June and Western governments hope warring parties may be able to reach a political agreement when the lawmakers meet in August for the first session.