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By Libya Herald staff.
Beida, 12 December 2014:
The Passport and Immigration Office in Benghazi, which has been closed for the past four . . .[restrict]months because of the clashes in the city, is to reopen in Sunday. An official told the Libya Herald that it would be providing limited services for the moment, such as passport extensions and visa renewals.
The reopening is seen as further evidence of improved security in the city. The office is in the downtown area, not far from the port, scene of heavy clashes between Libya army forces and Ansar Al-Sharia last month. The area is now quiet. There have been no clashes or explosions heard there for two days.
Life has returned to normal in much of the city with people out shopping and in cafes. One bank, the Bank of Commerce and Development, has reopened and there are reports of others reopening next week. Traffic police can also be seen directing traffic and the regular police are on patrol and in evidence. Another sign of normality is that rubbish is being collected and the streets cleaned. Local volunteers have also been tidying up gardens and green spaces. Cooking gas, however, remains difficult to find and there are power cuts, although that is also the case in other parts of the country.
There is no sign, however, that those who left the city for safety elsewhere have started to return in large numbers.
In the south of the city, in Garyounis and Hawari there are still occasional explosions. [/restrict]
