page_title: Libya–United Kingdom relations
section_title: Post-Gaddafi Libya (2011-present)
hierarchical_section_title: Libya–United Kingdom relations / History / Post-Gaddafi Libya (2011-present)
caption_attribution_description: English: British PM David Cameron in his visit on Sep. 15, 2011.
context_page_description: Relations between Libya and the United Kingdom were initially close and positive after the British Armed Forces helped rebel forces to topple Muammar Gaddafi's regime in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. British officials have visited Libya several times since then, including two visits by Prime Minister David Cameron on which large crowds turned out to welcome him. The British Armed Forces are also helping to train Libya's National Army as part of wider cooperation on security matters. Security conditions have deteriorated since 2014, when the United Kingdom suspended operations from their embassy in Tripoli, into a second civil war.
context_section_description: The UK formally recognised the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) as the government of Libya in July 2011, expelling the Gaddafi regime's remaining diplomats and inviting the NTC to nominate an ambassador and take over the Libyan embassy in London, which they did on 10 August.
  Following Gaddafi's ouster, UK Prime Minister David Cameron visited Libya with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and was greeted in Benghazi by a crowd of thousands who cheered as he addressed them, saying "It is great to be in free Libya." Cameron pledged support for the new government in rebuilding Libyan infrastructure, and Gaddafi regime assets worth billions of dollars were unfrozen and handed over to the NTC.
  Gaddafi's ouster prompted British police to reopen their investigations into the murder of Yvonne Fletcher and the Lockerbie bombing. The NTC promised to cooperate with the investigation and in December 2012 Libya's ambassador to the UK announced that all files relating to Lockerbie would be released, although likely not until Libya's new constitution has been completed and a permanent government is in place. This was followed in January 2013 by the news that Scottish police officers would be visiting Libya to conduct their investigation.
  In January 2013, the UK government issued a travel warning urging British citizens to leave the Libyan city of Benghazi due to an unspecified "specific and imminent threat to westerners". Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said the move was an "exaggeration" but that he could understand the motivations behind it. David Cameron again visited Libya on 31 January, meeting with Zeidan as well as President of Congress Mohammed Magariaf. He promised further cooperation in training Libya's security forces and said that "the British people want to stand with you."
  The United Kingdom suspended operations from their embassy in Tripoli on 2 August 2014 due to a rise in post-civil war violence in the city. Diplomatic relations with Libya were retained, as embassy staff continued to work from within neighbouring Tunisia. Embassy staff tweeted that fighting had spread to areas near the embassy and it was unsafe to operate there, but they hoped to return as soon as possible.  However the situation developed into an ongoing second Libyan Civil War.
caption: David Cameron visiting Benghazi in September 2011
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