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Investigates Investigates Money Diaries Daft.ie Property Magazine Allianz Home Magazine The 42 Sports Magazine TG4 Entertainment Magazine The Journal TV Climate Crisis Cost of Living Road Safety Newsletters Temperature Check Inside the Newsroom The Journal Investigates The Explainer A deep dive into one big news story Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture have your say Or create a free account to join the discussion Advertisement More Stories File photo of Magnus Brunner, EU commissioner for internal affairs and migrationAlamy Stock Photo Persona non Grata EU commissioner and delegation ordered to leave Libya just after arriving in Benghazi An EU official said it was “a big misunderstanding”. 10.21pm, 8 Jul 2025 Share options THE AUTHORITIES IN eastern Libya told an EU commissioner and ministers from three member states to leave immediately today after they arrived in the main city Benghazi for planned talks. Accusing the bloc’s delegation of a “flagrant breach of diplomatic norms”, the authorities who hold sway over eastern Libya said they had cancelled the visit and told the EU officials to “leave Libyan territory immediately”. The EU commissioner for internal affairs and migration, Magnus Brunner, said on X that “the meetings planned in Benghazi could not take place in the end”. “There was a breach of protocol which is unfortunate,” an EU official said, blaming it on “a big misunderstanding” over which Libyan authorities they were due to meet. The delegation had flown in from the Libyan capital Tripoli, where it held talks with the UN-backed Government of National Unity of Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah, which controls the west of the country. Advertisement Besides Brunner, the delegation also included the interior ministers of Italy and Malta, Matteo Piantedosi and Byron Camilleri, and Greek Migration Minister Thanos Plevris. Straight after their arrival in Benghazi, the head of the eastern administration, Osama Hammad, declared all four men persona non grata. He called on all diplomats and representatives of non-governmental organisations to “respect the sovereignty of the Libyan state”, without elaborating. Libya has been gripped by conflict since the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime ruler Moamer Kadhafi in a NATO-backed uprising. The country remains split between Dbeibah’s government based in Tripoli and Hammad’s rival administration based in the east. - © AFP 2025 Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “EU commissioner and delegation ordered to leave Libya just after arriving in Benghazi”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “EU commissioner and delegation ordered to leave Libya just after arriving in Benghazi”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. 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