"Commander-in-chief of the Libyan National Army, Marshal Khalifa Haftar, will not attend the upcoming conference that will be held in Palermo, Italy, on November 12-13, in order to find a solution to the political and security crisis in Libya," the source said on Saturday.
Haftar had earlier confirmed his participation for the upcoming conference. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump were invited, as well. The Kremlin announced, however, that the Russian president was not scheduled to attend the conference.
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On Wednesday, media reported, citing Libyan Army press service, that Haftar had arrived in Moscow to meet with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The lack of the single central government and army in Libya resulted in a surge of trafficking activities and the development of militant groups and terror organizations in the nation. Libya is also a major gateway for northern African migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean and settle in Europe, one of the main reasons for the European migration crisis in recent years.
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