Monday marks five years since a deadly attack on the Malta-owned Corinthia Hotel in Tripoli in which 12 people were killed, including two gunmen.

Those who work for the company say the violent event has never been forgotten.

“We remain grateful and appreciative of all our colleagues’ courageous actions and commitment shown on the day,” a spokesman for the Corinthia group told Times of Malta.

“We, of course, remain saddened at the loss of life. This was a tragic episode in the story of the Corinthia Hotel, but one from which we have emerged with a stronger bond among our colleagues on the ground and a fully renovated, functioning hotel that continues to play its part in the city’s life.”

ISIS – which carried out the attack – placed a car bomb in the parking garage of the hotel. The blast took the lives of five Libyans, as well as one American, one Frenchman and three from Tajikistan.

The January 28, 2015 newspaper edition of Times of Malta.The January 28, 2015 newspaper edition of Times of Malta.

Three of the five attackers survived the initial explosion, leading to a hostage situation between police and the remaining three attackers.

“We’ve never got the feeling that security has returned since then,” said managing director of Alphafarma Mario Debono, who flies between Malta and Libya regularly.

“I was not in Libya on the day of the attack but heard about it through my employees in Tripoli. While my office and home are not close to the hotel where the attack occurred, it made me nervous about what was happening in the city, as it was carried out by ISIS.”

Trouble in Libya

The terrorist organisation had been more or less stamped out in the North African country in the period which followed 2015. However, it is having a minor resurgence since Khalifa Haftar, head of the eastern-based Libyan National Army, began a march on Tripoli last year.

Last week, his rebel forces threatened to hit civilian planes flying over the Libyan capital city, and Tripoli’s only functioning airport was closed on Wednesday after rockets were fired towards it.

But despite the security situation remaining tense, the spokesman for the Corinthia Group says it has no plans to scale back business there.

“We remain committed to our investments in Tripoli, which continue to operate and generate income to finance upkeep and employment on the ground. We look forward to further stability and growth,” he said.

Mr Debono is not feeling as positive.

“Things have been going downhill in Libya since 2015 and the Maltese government is not doing enough to help Maltese businesses in Libya. We have always had a close link with the country historically, but at the moment, I feel like the government is keeping Libya at arm’s length.

“We should be involved more and help our businesspeople who remain there.”

He added: “We had a historical connection with Libya even before Muammar Gaddafi assumed power. It’s said that Maltese made up a quarter of the population of Tripoli in the 1930s. I’d estimate now there are around 600 Maltese people left in the entire country.

“For a while after the Arab Spring in 2011 and the overthrow of Gaddafi, things seemed hopeful, but then things changed.

“Back in 2012 and 2013, we weren’t too concerned about security, but now it’s become more dangerous. Foreigners can get kidnapped.”

But Mr Debono believes the Maltese who remain in Libya for business will not leave easily.

“Those of us who are still here stick together, we have too much at stake and too many professional ties,” he said.

“I’d advise anyone who is doing business in Libya to stick it out if they can.”

Mr Debono said he is cautiously optimistic that political stability in Libya can be achieved now that the world is taking notice of what is happening there, and talks are taking place internationally.

He also believes there are “green shoots” taking place on the ground with funded programmes for woman in business being set up as well as a growing art scene.

“I love Libya, both the country and the people. They give you heart,” he said.

“There is a gentleness and honesty here which you don’t see in Malta anymore.”

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