Malawi considers resuming links with Libya

Malawi and Libya are considering resuming diplomatic relationships after presidents Bingu Wa Mutharika and Muammar Ghaddafi met earlier this week in Egypt , where they both attended the African Union summit.
Speaking in an interview on Monday to the country’s state broadcaster –Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Mutharika said the Southern African country would review its relationship with Libya.

The Malawi president cleared the mist hovering the two country’s relationship saying the Southern African country did not end its relationship with Libya.

The Malawi leader said his government had only made a decision to have bilateral relations with Libya on non-residential basis, owing to financial limitations.

Mutharika said Malawi opted to be relating with Libya from Cairo in Egypt while the Libyan counterparts would do likewise from their mission in the region.

Malawi’s local daily of the Daily Times reported Wednesday that the two leaders talks came a year after the Libyans were forced to leave the nation.

This came towards the end of last year amid speculation that the north Africans were bankrolling opposition United Democratic Front (UDF), the president’s former party which is headed by former president Bakili Muluzi.

Muluzi is the presidential candidate for UDF set to challenge Mutharika in next year’s election.

The paper’s report further said Malawi set up diplomatic ties with the Libyan government in 2001 during Muluzi’s reign, who often said Malawi would benefit from the co-operation.

Ghaddafi, in 2002 visited the Southern African country where among others pledged to build a multi-million dollar hospital in the country’s commercial city of Blantyre. The hospital’s project kicked started but it has since stopped.