TRIPOLI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Libya's eastern-based army commander, Major General Khalifa Haftar, said he will not be participating in the African summit on the Libyan crisis in the Congolese capital Brazzaville.
"The commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, General Khalifa Haftar, officially presents his apology for not participating in this summit," Khalifa Obeidi, head of the army's information office, told Libyan Libyan news agency on Thursday.
Obeidi did not reveal reasons for Haftar's absence to the summit.
Congo will host a meeting on Saturday sponsored by the president of Congo, Denis Nguesso, who is the head of African Union's High Level Committee on Libya.
The meeting is aimed at overcoming the political stalemate that hinders the implementation of Libya's UN-sponsored peace agreement, as well as supporting national reconciliation efforts in the country.
Aqila Saleh, Libyan eastern-based parliament speaker, arrived on Wednesday to Brazzaville to participate in the summit.
