France to reopen embassy in Libya to help unity gov’t

France hopes to reopen its embassy in Tripoli as a sign of support for Libya’s new unity government, Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said on Tuesday, in what would be the first reopening of a Western diplomatic mission there.
Western governments are growing increasingly concerned about Islamic State’s success in establishing a firm foothold in Libya while two rival factions operating two governments fought for power.
The West is now backing a U.N.-brokered national unity government, which arrived in Tripoli from Tunisia last week and has been operating from a naval base as it seeks to establish its authority.
“Tunisia has reopened its embassy … We are working on it if the security conditions are guaranteed … It would be an extremely strong signal to show that we don’t give in to terrorists,” Ayrault told reporters after a meeting with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.