Libya oriental controlled by General Khalifa Haftar is the theater of a heated diplomatic clash with Italy and Europeafter the government of Benghazi ha rejected a delegation of European ministers on their arrival in the city, including the owner of the interior Matteo planted. The accusation is “Palese violation of diplomatic rules”we read in the declaration with which “the obligation to leave the Libyan territory as a personae does not grate and was notified to everyone”. Qualified sources spoke of “a protocol incomprehension not managed by Italian representation”.
But the oppositions arise, and speak of the “global fool” of the government, recalling the Almasri case and attacking the foreign minister Antonio Tajani, who meanwhile reported that he will hear the colleague of the interior “just possible” to understand what happened. The mission, organized as part of the Team Europe initiative, saw the participation, in addition to planted, of the ministers of the interior of Greece and Malta and the European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner, and provided for meetings with both Libyan executives: the western one of Tripoli, recognized internationally and led by Abdelhamid Dbeibah, and the oriental one supported by General Khalifa Haftar. With the aim of strengthening cooperation in the fight against irregular immigration and consolidating relationships in terms of safety and repatriating. In the morning, the mission had held the meetings in Tripoli, obtaining – according to EU sources – a first go -ahead for the resumption of joint operations and the use of European tools such as Frontex. The arrival in Benghazi, scheduled as a second stage of the journey, however ended with the rejection at Benina international airport in the early afternoon, on the order of Prime Minister Osama Saad Hammad who denounced a “flagping violation of diplomatic rules” and a “contempt for Libyan national sovereignty”.
In the official press release, the Cyrenaica authorities accused the delegation of not having respected the procedures provided for the entry of foreign diplomats, and of having acted uniquely, without prior coordination with local authorities. According to informed sources, it would have been a ‘rough discussion between the EU ambassador to Libya, Nicola Orlando, and the Libyan delegation present at the airport to incecate the fuse. Orlando – the sources argue – was in fact the first to get off the plane in Benghazi, and would have made observations on the composition of the Libyan team and on the management of filming and images. Observations that would not have been welcome by the interlocutors who at that point would put an end to the mission. According to other sources on the spot, Benghazi’s decision would also have been motivated by the disappointment for the priority meeting held in Tripoli, considered by the East an act of political legitimacy of the rival Dbeibah. While some local observers connect the episode to the geopolitical tensions that cross the country: the Libya of the East, close to Russia and Emirates, looks with suspicion to European attempts to resume the initiative on the migratory dossier. Athens defined the episode “a serious obstacle to the collaboration on the repatriations”, while Commissioner Brunner reiterated the need to involve “all Libyan parts” in European programs. While suggesting that the Commission could re -evaluate the funds intended for the eastern bank if there is no cooperation. Migratory.
In the meantime, the case has detonated the political controversies in Italy, with the opposition to feed its fire despite qualifying sources have repeatedly stressed that the story “has never concerned the Italian component of the delegation, less than bilateral relations with Italy”. The leader of IV Matteo Renzi and the Democratic Party speak of “international fool” while Angelo Bonelli of Avs attacked Tajani: “He is right, he is really ‘disfigured,” he said, adding that “this time planted he was the victim of the law of counterpoint”. More Europe and the Five Stars then quote the Almasri case: “While we take a tier with a flight of state at home and rapist chased by the CPI, our minister planted is rejected “, is the pentastellato lunge, which speaks of” a total defeat of the Meloni government “.