Libya’s Dbeibeh Postpones Visit to Benghazi

Head of the GNU Abdulhamid Dbeibeh in Sirte in March. (Reuters)
Head of the GNU Abdulhamid Dbeibeh in Sirte in March. (Reuters)
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Libya’s Dbeibeh Postpones Visit to Benghazi

Head of the GNU Abdulhamid Dbeibeh in Sirte in March. (Reuters)
Head of the GNU Abdulhamid Dbeibeh in Sirte in March. (Reuters)

Head of Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) Abdulhamid Dbeibeh will postpone a visit to the country's east that had been planned for Monday to demonstrate his government's progress in ending years of division between warring factions.

His spokesman Mohamed Hamouda said in a social media post that the visit had been postponed without giving details.

The GNU was expected to convene in the eastern city of Benghazi for the first time since its appointment.

Expectations were high that Dbeibeh would meet with Libyan National Army (LNA) commander Khalifa Haftar, whose is based in the city.

It would have been Dbeibeh’s first visit to the city since his election. He made recent statements in which he said that the city has returned to the “national fold”, drawing sharp criticism from its residents.

Neither Haftar nor Dbeibeh have confirmed whether they would meet, but sources close to the latter said he was “open to any meeting that would bolster the national reconciliation and peace in the country.”

Separately, the east-based parliament continues to refuse to pass the proposed state budget, putting it in a standoff with the GNU.

US Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland spoke with Speaker Aguila Saleh from London on April 23 to discuss progress on elections and on the national budget.

He welcomed the Speaker’s firm commitment to holding national elections on December 24 and his assessment of progress toward a constitutional and legal basis to facilitate the elections, said a statement from the embassy on Sunday.

“The speaker also provided an update on negotiations to finalize a budget that can address the nation’s most immediate and pressing needs,” it added.



First Wheat Shipment Since Assad’s Ouster Arrives in Syria’s Latakia

A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Giza, Egypt April 18, 2025. (Reuters)
A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Giza, Egypt April 18, 2025. (Reuters)
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First Wheat Shipment Since Assad’s Ouster Arrives in Syria’s Latakia

A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Giza, Egypt April 18, 2025. (Reuters)
A farmer shows wheat plants at a field in Giza, Egypt April 18, 2025. (Reuters)

A ship carrying wheat has arrived in Syria's Latakia port, the first delivery of its kind since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted by rebels in December, the government said on Sunday.

Officials of the new government say that while imports of wheat and other basics are not subject to US and UN sanctions, challenges in securing financing for trade deals have deterred global suppliers from selling to Syria.

The Syrian General Authority for Land and Sea Borders said in a statement that the ship carried 6,600 tons of wheat. It did not identify the nationality or destination of the boat, but one regional commodity trader told Reuters it was from Russia.

"A step that is considered a clear indication of the start of a new phase of economic recovery in the country," the borders authority said of the shipment, adding that it should pave the way for more arrivals of vital supplies.

Traders say Syria has this year been largely relying on overland imports from neighbors.

Russia and Iran, both major backers of the Assad government, previously provided most of Syria's wheat and oil products but stopped after the opposition triumphed and he fled to Moscow.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa's government is focused on economic recovery after 14 years of conflict.