A high-level European delegation, including ministers from Greece, Italy, and Malta, has been unceremoniously expelled from eastern Libya after military commander General Khalifa Haftar refused to meet with them, a major diplomatic embarrassment that complicates efforts to stem a growing migration crisis.
The EU delegation, led by European Commissioner for Migration Magnus Brunner, had traveled to Libya to press for action to stop a surge of migrant boats departing from the eastern port of Tobruk bound for the Greek island of Crete.
After holding talks with the internationally recognized government in the capital, Tripoli, the delegation flew to Benghazi for a scheduled meeting with General Haftar, who controls much of eastern Libya.
Upon their arrival, however, the ministers were declared "unwelcome" and told to leave immediately, according to Libyan media reports.
The eastern-based administration, a rival to the government in Tripoli, accused the EU officials of violating diplomatic protocols, apparently angered that the delegation had visited Tripoli first.
The public snub deals a significant blow to the EU’s strategy to secure cooperation from all Libyan factions to manage the new and increasingly active smuggling route across the Mediterranean.
Greek Migration and Asylum Minister Thanos Plevris was part of the delegation, which was forced to abruptly depart from Benghazi's Benina Airport.
The incident occurred as Greek authorities are grappling with a record influx of migrants on Crete and have deployed naval vessels to the area to deter smugglers.
The diplomatic mission was intended to be a key part of a coordinated European response, which has now been thrown into disarray by the standoff in Benghazi.