Libya orders MSF to leave country by 9 November

Libyan authorities have ordered Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF) to leave the country by 9 November, according to a statement released by the humanitarian organisation on Wednesday. The decision, issued by the Libyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was not accompanied by any official explanation.

“We are deeply disappointed by this decision,” said Steve Purbrick, MSF’s program manager in Libya, in comments to Agence France-Presse (AFP). “We express our grave concern about its impact on the health of patients who were dependent on our medical services.”

The order comes months after MSF suspended all its medical activities in Libya in March, following the closure of its offices by security forces. The organization was forced to evacuate its international staff and dismiss local employees after those incidents.

In April, Libya’s Internal Security Agency—under the Government of National Accord (GNA)—accused several international non-governmental organizations, including MSF, of participating in what it described as an “international project to settle irregular migrants in Libya.”

The agency claimed its investigations uncovered “suspicious activities” backed by foreign entities seeking to exploit the country’s political, security, and economic instability, though it presented no public evidence to substantiate these allegations.

At the time, the agency said it had taken measures to shut down the offices of the NGOs mentioned in its report.

OPINION: Libya at the mercy of regional powers: Where is Washington?