Latest news with #Benghazi-led
Saudi Gazette
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
EU leaders agree to send delegation to Libya after previous group expelled from country
BRUSSELS — European Union leaders have agreed to send a new diplomatic delegation to Libya after the military leader Khalifa Haftar asked the previous representatives to leave the country. Speaking on the sidelines of On the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abella said it was important to re-engage with Libya. The four leaders agreed on the need to reactivate the Team Europe initiative, with a delegation from the European Commission, as well as ministers from Greece, Italy and Malta, to be re-deployed to Libya. Team Europe consists of the European Union, EU Member States, as well as the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and aims to be a coordinated approach to solving problems. The Rome talks come after military leader Khalifa Haftar, who holds de facto power in large parts of eastern Libya, orchestrated a meeting on Tuesday as a means of "trapping" an EU delegation into recognising the legitimacy of the Benghazi-led Libyan administration, a source familiar with the issue told Euronews. The delegation was declared "personae non grata" and asked to leave Libyan territory upon arrival at the airport of mission included Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, Maltese Interior Minister Byron Camilleri, Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Athanasios Plevris, and EU Ambassador to Libya Nicola mission travelled to eastern Libya after meeting in Tripoli with representatives of the Government of National Unity (GNU), the internationally recognised executive led by Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, which controls Tripoli and western diplomatic incident risked complicating Europe's efforts to prevent a wave of irregular migration from Libya to have surged in recent weeks to such an extent that Greece decided on Wednesday to temporarily suspend asylum requests for those arriving from North Africa by than 500 people were transferred to the port of Lavrio near Athens earlier on Thursday after being intercepted south of the island of transfers to the mainland were ordered because makeshift reception centres on Crete have reached capacity, with around 500 new arrivals per day on the Mediterranean island since the on Crete are struggling to provide basic services, using temporary facilities to house migrants, primarily from Somalia, Sudan, Egypt and Morocco, according to island remains a key entry point to the EU for individuals fleeing conflict and hardship in the Middle East, Africa, and surged last year, with over 60,000 migrants landing in Greece — the majority by sea — compared to around 48,000 in 2023, according to UN refugee agency mid-June 2025, Greece had recorded 16,290 arrivals, over 14,600 of which were by Greek authorities stepping up patrols along the eastern maritime border with Turkey, traffickers appear to be increasingly choosing the longer and more dangerous route across the Mediterranean from North Africa, using larger boats capable of carrying more people. — Euronews
Euronews
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
EU leaders agree to delegation to Libya after diplomats' expulsion
European Union leaders have agreed to send a new diplomatic delegation to Libya after the military leader Khalifa Haftar asked the previous representatives to leave the country. Speaking on the sidelines of On the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abella said it was important to re-engage with Libya. The four leaders agreed on the need to reactivate the Team Europe initiative, with a delegation from the European Commission, as well as ministers from Greece, Italy and Malta, to be re-deployed to Libya. Team Europe consists of the European Union, EU Member States, as well as the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and aims to be a coordinated approach to solving problems. The Rome talks come after military leader Khalifa Haftar, who holds de facto power in large parts of eastern Libya, orchestrated a meeting on Tuesday as a means of "trapping" an EU delegation into recognising the legitimacy of the Benghazi-led Libyan administration, a source familiar with the issue told Euronews. The delegation was declared "personae non grata" and asked to leave Libyan territory upon arrival at the airport of Benghazi. The mission included Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, Maltese Interior Minister Byron Camilleri, Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Athanasios Plevris, and EU Ambassador to Libya Nicola Orlando. The mission travelled to eastern Libya after meeting in Tripoli with representatives of the Government of National Unity (GNU), the internationally recognised executive led by Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, which controls Tripoli and western Libya. The diplomatic incident risked complicating Europe's efforts to prevent a wave of irregular migration from Libya to Europe. Arrivals have surged in recent weeks to such an extent that Greece decided on Wednesday to temporarily suspend asylum requests for those arriving from North Africa by sea. More than 500 people were transferred to the port of Lavrio near Athens earlier on Thursday after being intercepted south of the island of Crete. The transfers to the mainland were ordered because makeshift reception centres on Crete have reached capacity, with around 500 new arrivals per day on the Mediterranean island since the weekend. Trying to reach Europe Authorities on Crete are struggling to provide basic services, using temporary facilities to house migrants, primarily from Somalia, Sudan, Egypt and Morocco, according to island officials. Greece remains a key entry point to the EU for individuals fleeing conflict and hardship in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Arrivals surged last year, with over 60,000 migrants landing in Greece — the majority by sea — compared to around 48,000 in 2023, according to UN refugee agency data. By mid-June 2025, Greece had recorded 16,290 arrivals, over 14,600 of which were by sea. With Greek authorities stepping up patrols along the eastern maritime border with Turkey, traffickers appear to be increasingly choosing the longer and more dangerous route across the Mediterranean from North Africa, using larger boats capable of carrying more people.
Euronews
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
EU delegation ejected from Libya after diplomatic 'trap', source says
Military leader Khalifa Haftar — who holds de facto power in large parts of eastern Libya — orchestrated a meeting on Tuesday as a means of "trapping" an EU delegation into recognising the legitimacy of the Benghazi-led Libyan administration, a source familiar with the issue told Euronews. The delegation was declared "personae non gratae" and asked to depart Libyan territory upon arrival at the airport of Benghazi. The mission travelled to eastern Libya after meeting in Tripoli with representatives of the Government of National Unity (GNU) — the internationally recognised executive led by Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, which controls Tripoli and western Libya. The parties had reportedly discussed joint patrols and repatriation strategies to counter illegal migration. The delegation then journeyed to Benghazi to meet with the Government of National Stability (GNS), which controls the city of Benghazi and eastern Libya. In reality, however, real power lies with the military rule of Khalifa Haftar. The group — which included European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner — intended to meet with Benghazi authorities to discuss strategies to stop the departure of migrants to European shores. Their journey, however, was limited to Benghazi airport, where Prime Minister Osama Saad Hammad and two GNS ministers were waiting for the EU mission, with photographers and cameras in tow. The seemingly routine reception carried the risk of portraying EU officials alongside representatives of an officially unrecognised government — effectively, at least in the media, a de facto recognition of the GNS. The EU delegation's objections led first to negotiations, but ultimately to the expulsion of the officials, who were declared personae non gratae. The Libyan government then issued a communiqué accusing them of carrying out an "unauthorised" mission and of "disrespecting Libyan national sovereignty." The Italian government described the situation as a misunderstanding of protocol. In an interview with Italian broadcaster RAI, Interior Minister Piantedosi attributed the cancellation of the meeting "at the last minute' to 'resentment on the Libyan side over the overzealousness of some European delegation officials.' He downplayed the incident, calling it a 'serious episode' but insisting it did not undermine cooperation with Benghazi authorities. Brunner and EU ministers proposed a condition for the meeting A source familiar with the incident told Euronews however that it had been clearly agreed by the delegation that "only Haftar's people — meaning the military — would be present" at the meeting. The idea of other political personnel attending 'had been discussed only hypothetically and was to be addressed later, if necessary', according to the source. As previously reported by Italian and international media, Italy's Special Envoy to Libya Nicola Orlando was instructed to disembark first and politely asked that no photos be taken, due to the potential diplomatic implications. Once clearance was given, the EU delegation disembarked and was escorted to a waiting room — though apparently, unpublished photos and video footage were already being taken. When pressed for an explanation, the Libyan organiser of the visit reportedly replied by phone: 'This is the Benghazi government, you have to accept it.' According to the Brussels source, the Libyan side made clear that 'in the meeting with Haftar, the government and the prime minister will also be present.' Commissioner Brunner and the EU ministers attempted to resolve the situation, according to the source, by proposing a meeting with GNS representatives, on the condition that the talks be officially framed as involving only Haftar and his military associates. Despite repeated efforts by the European side, the Libyans refused, insisting: 'We are the government.' The source concluded: 'It was obviously a trap.' Who is General Haftar and what are his plans for Libya? After the Libyan civil war and the death of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Haftar gradually expanded his influence through his Libyan National Army (LNA), eventually controlling much of Cyrenaica and Fezzan. After more than a decade of military clashes for control of Libya, the Benghazi-based government and the 81-year-old LNA leader have gained the upper hand over the Tripoli administration. The Tripoli government enjoys international backing, but it remains weakened by internal conflicts among allied militias. 'In recent weeks, there have been significant developments, and the eastern government has become emboldened. Now they have Russian weapons, so they are very powerful — and have a lot of money,' said another source familiar with the issue. 'This government is trying to assert itself and is using all forms of pressure,' the source added, citing migrant departures to Europe as an example. Their aim is to 'to push Tripoli aside and be the only government."
Euronews
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
EU delegation ejected from Libya after diplomatic 'trap'
Military leader Khalifa Haftar — who holds de facto power of large parts of eastern Libya — orchestrated a meeting on Tuesday as a means of 'trapping' an EU delegation into recognising the legitimacy of the Benghazi-led Libyan administration, according to a source familiar with the issue. The delegation were declared "personae non gratae" and asked to depart Libyan territory upon arriving at the airport of Benghazi. The mission travelled to eastern Libya after meeting in Tripoli with representatives of the Government of National Unity (GNU) — the internationally recognised executive led by Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah which controls Tripoli and western Libya. The parties had reportedly discussed joint patrols and repatriation strategies to counter illegal migration. The delegation then journeyed to Benghazi to meet with the Government of National Stability (GNS), which controls the city of Benghazi and eastern Libya. In reality, however, real power lies with the military rule of Khalifa Haftar. The group — which included the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner — intended to meet with Benghazi authorities to discuss strategies to stop the departure of migrants to European shores. Their journey, however, was limited to Benghazi airport, where Prime Minister Osama Saad Hammad and two GNS ministers were waiting for the European mission, with photographers and cameras in tow. The seemingly routine reception carried the risk of portraying European officials alongside representatives of an officially unrecognised government — effectively, at least in the media, a de facto recognition of the GNS. The EU delegation's objections led first to negotiations, but ultimately to the expulsion of the officials, who were declared personae non gratae. The Libyan government then issued a communiqué accusing them of carrying out an "unauthorised" mission and of "disrespecting Libyan national sovereignty." The Italian government described the situation as a misunderstanding of protocol. In an interview with Italian broadcaster RAI, Interior Minister Piantedosi attributed cancellation of the meeting "at the last minute' to 'resentment on the Libyan side over the overzealousness of some European delegation officials.' He downplayed the incident, calling it a 'serious episode' but insisting it did not undermine cooperation with Benghazi authorities. Brunner and EU ministers proposed a condition for the meeting A source familiar with the incident told Euronews however that it had been clearly agreed by the delegation that "only Haftar's people — meaning the military — would be present" at the meeting. The idea of other political personnel attending 'had been discussed only hypothetically and was to be addressed later, if necessary', according to the source. As previously reported by Italian and international media, Italy's Special Envoy to Libya, Nicola Orlando, was instructed to disembark first and politely asked that no photos be taken, due to the potential diplomatic implications. Once clearance was given, the EU delegation disembarked and was escorted to a waiting room — though apparently, unpublished photos and video footage were already being taken. When pressed for an explanation, the Libyan organiser of the visit reportedly replied by phone: 'This is the Benghazi government, you have to accept it.' According to the Brussels source, the Libyan side made clear that 'in the meeting with Haftar, the government and the prime minister will also be present.' Commissioner Brunner and the EU ministers attempted to resolve the situation, according to the source, by proposing a meeting with GNS representatives, on the condition that the talks be officially framed as involving only Haftar and his military associates. Despite repeated efforts by the European side, the Libyans refused, insisting: 'We are the government.' The source concluded: 'It was obviously a trap.' Who is General Haftar and what are his plans for Libya? After the Libyan civil war and the death of Gaddafi in 2011, Khalifa Haftar gradually expanded his influence through his Libyan National Army (LNA), eventually controlling much of Cyrenaica and Fezzan. After more than a decade of military clashes for control of Libya, the Benghazi-based government and the 81-year-old LNA leader have gained the upper hand over the Tripoli administration. The Tripoli government enjoys international backing, but it remains weakened by internal conflicts among allied militias. 'In recent weeks, there have been significant developments, and the eastern government has become emboldened. Now they have Russian weapons, so they are very powerful — and have a lot of money,' said another source familiar with the issue. 'This government is trying to assert itself and is using all forms of pressure,' the source added, citing migrant departures to Europe as an example. Their aim is to 'to push Tripoli aside and be the only government."
