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By Libya Herald reporter.
Benghazi, 17 May 2017:
Libya’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Abdulbasit Elbadri, has been dismissed by Presidency Council foreign minister Mohamed Siala, a source close to the minister told the Libya Herald this evening. Badri is reported to have been replaced by Kamal Al-Treiki.
No reason has been given, but it is assumed to be political.
Badri is Khalifa Hafter’s most prominent political adviser and has accompanied him on numerous foreign visits, such as that to Algeria in April. In particular, he has been an important go-between for the field marshal with the Russians. He was in Moscow on Hafter’s behalf for talks with deputy Russian foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov last September and again in March.
Last week, at the Washington conference on Libya, he expressed the hope that US president Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh on Friday would see the issue of US engagement with Libya being raised.
It is thought that the dismissal was made with the Trump visit in mind, to prevent any pro-Hafter views reaching the US president or his entourage.
Elbadri was appointed to Riyadh by prime minister Abdullah Al-Thinni in 2015, having previously served as Libyan ambassador to Bahain.
