A high-level visit by EU officials and interior ministers from Italy, Greece, and Malta was abruptly derailed on Tuesday, July 8th, after Libya’s eastern-based authorities declared the delegation personae non gratae upon their arrival at Benghazi’s Benina International Airport.
The delegation had travelled to Libya to address the recent surge in illegal migrant departures from the country to southern Europe.
However, the delegation was immediately blocked by the Government of National Stability (GNS), the eastern-based rival to Libya’s internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU). The GNS, which controls Benghazi and Eastern Libya, accused the delegation of bypassing diplomatic protocols, violating Libyan sovereignty, and ignoring entry procedures for foreign officials.
In a press release signed by Prime Minister Osama Saad Hammad, the GNS described the visit as a “flagrant contravention of established diplomatic norms and international convention,” citing “actions that demonstrably disregard Libyan national sovereignty” and a “violation of Libyan domestic law.” The statement did not elaborate on the specific nature of the alleged violations.
Some suggest that the expulsion may have been triggered by the fact that the European delegation first visited Tripoli, the seat of the GNU government in Western Libya, before traveling to Benghazi.
