Eastern Libyan authorities expelled a European Union delegation on Tuesday, accusing the bloc of violating diplomatic protocol during a planned visit.
The group, led by EU Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner, included interior ministers from Italy, Malta, and Greece. They were ordered to leave Benghazi shortly after arrival.
Officials from the eastern government declared the delegation “persona non grata,” citing a “flagrant breach of diplomatic norms” and cancelling scheduled meetings.
The delegation had previously held talks in Tripoli with the UN-backed Government of National Unity, led by Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah.
Brunner later confirmed on X that the planned engagements in Benghazi “could not take place in the end.”
An EU official described the situation as “a big misunderstanding” over which Libyan authorities the delegation was meant to meet.
Osama Hammad, head of the eastern administration, warned diplomats and NGOs to “respect the sovereignty of the Libyan state,” offering no further details.
Libya has remained fractured since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted longtime ruler Moamer Kadhafi, plunging the nation into prolonged unrest.
The country is now divided between rival governments—Dbeibah’s in the west and Hammad’s in the east—each vying for international recognition and control.
Tuesday’s incident highlights the deepening diplomatic complexities foreign officials face when navigating Libya’s divided political landscape.
It also underscores the fragile nature of international engagement in a nation where power is still contested and protocol disputes can spark swift fallout.