The car bomb attack this week on the French embassy in Tripoli, in which several people were injured, has had the intended effect of increasing concern among the diplomatic community in the country.
It was, among other things, a reminder of the events of last September when the US ambassador and three of his colleagues were killed in an assault on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi.
In recent days the embassies of both Germany and Ukraine have closed their doors, while others have reportedly restricted their operations.
The authorities' inability to disperse a heavily-armed mob surrounding the Foreign Ministry offices has added to fears that the government has even lost control of the capital.
Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has warned that embassy staff "won’t work in these conditions", but he needs to take steps to ensure that conditions on the ground change for the better.
