Libya Military + Committee announces reopening of coastal road

The Libyan Joint Military Committee on Friday announced the reopening of a strategic coastal road linking the country’s east and west.

In a statement, the committee reassured that everyone would be able to use the road, which runs along the country’s coastline and is under the control of the body’s Security Arrangements Committee.

The statement noted that the Security Arrangements Committee would supervise all related security measures to be carried out with “complete professionalism and impartiality.”

It added that military convoys would not be allowed to use the road between Abugrein gate, in eastern Misrata, and the 30th gate in western Sirte.

The Joint Military Committee hailed UN efforts that helped secure the agreement on the road’s reopening.

For its part, the UN Support Mission in Libya welcomed the official opening of the road as a “landmark and historic achievement” for the committee.

On Wednesday, the Libyan army gave Hafatr’s forces until Saturday to re-open the strategic roadway.

“We sent a letter to the 5 + 5 Libyan Joint Military Commission giving them until Saturday (to inform Haftar’s forces) to open the coastal road,” Abdel-Hadi Darah, a spokesman for the Sirte-Jafra Operations Room.

The Joint Military Committee includes five members from the internationally recognised government and five from Haftar’s forces.