Libya’s House of Representatives voted on Monday to declare British Ambassador Caroline Hurndall a persona non grata, the House spokesman Abdullah Blehaq announced in a statement.
This comes in the wake of the public controversy caused by the British Embassy’s decision to continue to recognize the Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, despite the expiration of its legal mandate.
The decision caused an uproar among Libyans who denounced it as a form of interference in the country’s internal affairs.
Blehaq explained that, after the vote, the House will issue a “formal decree” and “the foreign ministry will then be instructed to communicate with the concerned authorities about this matter”.
Hurndall was recently appointed as ambassador in September 2021, replacing Nicholas Hopton who served in position for two years since 2019.
UK decision to continue to recognize GNU sparks public outcry