A Libyan girl poses for a photo at Benghazi port during a ceremony marking its reopening for the first time in three years on October 1, 2017. Abdullah Doma / AFP
A Libyan girl poses for a photo at Benghazi port during a ceremony marking its reopening for the first time in three years on October 1, 2017. Abdullah Doma / AFP

Benghazi port in Libya reopens for first time in three years



Benghazi port in east Libya has reopened for the first time in three years after being forced to cease operations when armed groups, including ISIL, occupied the city.

These groups were expelled in July this year by the forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar who is aligned with the Tobruk-based parliament, a rival administration to the UN-backed government in Tripoli.

The Tobruk parliament has its own government led by Abdullah Al Thani, and it was this administration that inaugurated the port's reopening on Sunday. Mr Al Thani arrived at the port on board a cargo vessel accompanied by members of his cabinet.

"We thank God that justice has been victorious over injustice," Mr Al Thani said, referring to the ouster of the Islamist militias and "all those who claim that Benghazi is not secure".

"The docking of this cargo ship carrying medicines and food supplies … is a major challenge to the obscurantists who used it to bring weapons to the terrorists."

"Benghazi is a peaceful city, not a haven for terrorists from around the world as some people claim," Mr Al Thani added.

In a bid to boost business at the facility, port officials announced a temporary customs exemption for all imports through Benghazi.

Mr Al Thani's "provisional government" has not been recognised internationally since the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity was formed under a UN-sponsored agreement signed in 2015.

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Read more:

Editorial: Libya and the 'surrealistic' state it is in

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TV: Match is shown on BeIN Sports

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Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.

"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."

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Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

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Price, base: Dh201,153
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Name: Back to Games and Boardgame Space

Started: Back to Games (2015); Boardgame Space (Mark Azzam became co-founder in 2017)

Founder: Back to Games (Mr Azzam); Boardgame Space (Mr Azzam and Feras Al Bastaki)

Based: Dubai and Abu Dhabi 

Industry: Back to Games (retail); Boardgame Space (wholesale and distribution) 

Funding: Back to Games: self-funded by Mr Azzam with Dh1.3 million; Mr Azzam invested Dh250,000 in Boardgame Space  

Growth: Back to Games: from 300 products in 2015 to 7,000 in 2019; Boardgame Space: from 34 games in 2017 to 3,500 in 2019

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