UN Libya envoy’s plane turned back from Tobruk airport

By Jihad Nasr

TRIPOLI, Libya

Libya’s Tobruk airport on Wednesday refused to allow a plane carrying UN envoy to Libya Martin Kobler to land, according to both Kobler himself and local Libyan sources.

Kobler had been hoping to meet Aqeela Saleh, speaker of Libya’s Tobruk-based parliament, along with members of the assembly.

Local sources, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on talking to media, said airport administrators had turned back the plane -- which had been in Libyan airspace at the time -- after communicating with officials in Tobruk.

Tobruk’s international airport is controlled by Libya’s Tobruk-based government, which remains locked in dispute with Libya’s UN-backed national unity government based in capital Tripoli.

According to the same sources, the move reflected the popular will in Tobruk, where, during Kobler’s last two visits, the public had demanded the envoy leave the city.

Anadolu Agency was unable to obtain immediate comment from airport officials -- or the Tobruk-based government -- regarding the sources’ assertions.

Kobler himself, however, later confirmed that his plane had not been allowed to touch down at the airport.

Writing on Facebook shortly after the incident, he said: "We had to cancel a UN flight to Tobruk because of lack of landing approval."