Libya’s eastern rulers place reciprocal ban on US travellers

BENGHAZI, Libya – The Libyan government based in the east of the country will bar American citizens from entering Libya in retaliation for the latest U.S. travel ban.

The eastern government said in a statement Wednesday that the latest version of the U.S. ban, set to take effect Oct. 18, is a “dangerous escalation.”

Libya was plunged into chaos after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, and is now split between two rival governments, each backed by an array of militias.

President Donald Trump’s latest travel ban includes the suspension of all immigrant visas for nationals of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Yemen and Somalia, and the suspension of non-immigrant visas, such as for business and tourism, to nationals of Chad, Libya, North Korea, Syria and Yemen.