Libya: Armed Haftar supporters prevent PM’s first meeting in east

PM Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh’s trip to Benghazi planned for Monday called off after gunmen stop delegation at the airport.

A Libyan cabinet meeting in the city of Benghazi has been postponed after gunmen loyal to renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar prevented a government delegation from entering the city. Armed men and civilians loyal to Haftar stopped the security detail of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh from entering the eastern city after their plane landed at Benina Airport on Sunday, sources told Al Jazeera. The delegation – which was forced to fly back to the capital Tripoli – was planning to prepare for the first visit to Benghazi by Dbeibeh since he assumed office in March. The meeting planned for Monday aimed to demonstrate the unity government’s progress in ending years of division between warring factions.