This week was marked by Government of National Unity (GNU) Prime Minister, Abdul Hameed Dabaiba’s, advance delegation being refused entry to Benghazi airport, prompting questions over the strength of the GNU’s mandate in eastern Libya.
On 21 April, following the assault by the Libya-based Chadian rebel group Le Front pour l’Alternance et la Concorde au Tchad (FACT) on northern Chad, Libya’s Presidential Council ordered all military units in southern Libya to report for duty. Units were told to be on alert to respond to emergencies at any time and to begin working to secure Libya’s southern border.
On 25 April, the advance security party for GNU Prime Minister Abdul Hameed Dabaiba’s official delegation to Benghazi was prevented from landing at Benina airport and the plane was forced to return to Tripoli. The delegation was meant to be securing the location ahead of an official visit by Dabaiba to the city on 26 April. Reports indicate that there were protests at the airport over the visit due to the presence of members of Tripoli and Misratan armed groups in the security detail, as well as over perceptions that Dabaiba has aligned himself with Islamist/anti-LNA elements in western Libya.