In a statement issued today, Wednesday, the National Oil Corporation announced a state of force majeure on the Sharara field due to current conditions affecting crude oil production at the field, which have prevented the corporation from carrying out crude oil loading operations.
The corporation added in its statement that these conditions, which forced it to declare a state of force majeure, are beyond its control and cannot be prevented, noting that operations will return to normal once the conditions that led to the declaration of force majeure are resolved.
The Central Bank of Libya has released a report on revenues and expenditures from the beginning of January 2024 until July 31 of the same year. The total revenues amounted to 61.2 billion dinars, while the expenditure reached 57.6 billion dinars.
The Central Bank’s statement detailed that revenue from the foreign exchange sales fee reached 14 billion dinars from the start of the year until July 31. It also noted a foreign exchange deficit of 9.1 billion dinars.
Additionally, the Central Bank’s report highlighted that the expenditure for the Council of Ministers under the Government of National Unity from January to July 31 this year exceeded 1 billion and 496 million dinars.
The report indicated that the expenditure for the House of Representatives during the past seven months was over 700 million dinars, and the expenditure for the Supreme Council amounted to more than 29 million dinars.
The statement also revealed that the expenditure for the Presidential Council totaled more than 321 million dinars, and the expenditure for the Ministry of Finance exceeded 17 billion dinars.
The head of the Libyan Audit Bureau, Khaled Shakshak, met today, Monday, with the Governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Seddiq Al-Kabeer, to discuss public spending, disclosure, and transparency.
The attendees also reviewed the bank’s budgets for previous years, which had not been reviewed due to the division during those years. Additionally, they discussed coordination and cooperation to address the urgent challenges facing state institutions and ways to overcome them.
Another topic of the meeting was the rising water levels in the city of Zliten. Present at the meeting were the Director General of the Housing and Utilities Agency, Mahmoud Ajaj, the Chairman of the Compensation Committee at the Ministry of Housing and Construction, Nasser Rafida, the Chairman of the Emergency Committee in Zliten Municipality, Mustafa Al-Bahbah, and the Chairman of the committee assigned by the Audit Bureau to follow up on the Zliten crisis, Riyadh Al-Shawakh.
The meeting reviewed the compensation file for affected citizens, discussed the health and environmental situation in the city, and the necessary equipment needed to face the challenges of the winter season.
The meeting emphasized the necessity of concerted efforts and unified visions to find practical and quick solutions that serve the interests of the citizens.
On Sunday, Kufra Municipality in Libya declined to host Sudanese refugees amid the ongoing crisis in Sudan. The municipality’s decision comes in response to the rising number of refugees fleeing the conflict in their homeland.
Abdullah Suleiman, the spokesperson for Kufra Municipality, stated that the city is already facing significant challenges and lacks the resources needed to support additional refugees. He urged the United Nations and other international organizations to take responsibility for setting up refugee camps within Sudan itself.
Suleiman made it clear that Kufra has not agreed to host refugee camps and believes that relocating refugees to other areas within Sudan would be a more viable solution.
With Sudan engulfed in conflict, many have fled their homes seeking safety, leading to a surge of refugees in neighboring countries, including Libya. Kufra, located in southeastern Libya near the Sudanese border, has become a key entry point for these refugees.
The municipality is grappling with various issues, such as limited resources and inadequate infrastructure, which severely constrain its ability to support a large influx of refugees. Establishing camps under these conditions could worsen existing problems and further strain the city’s already stretched services.
Kufra’s call for international intervention underscores the urgent need for more sustainable solutions. By setting up refugee camps within Sudanese territory, the international community could help ease the burden on neighboring countries and offer refugees a safer environment closer to their homes.
As the situation in Sudan persists, the international community must prioritize the creation of safe zones and camps within the country to manage the refugee crisis more effectively and facilitate the eventual return and reintegration of refugees when conditions improve.
The Ministry of Interior of the Interim National Unity Government and its Italian counterpart held security discussions to address the challenges facing the voluntary repatriation of irregular migrants to their home countries.
The Libyan side was represented by the Director of the Passport Investigation Department, while the Italian Ministry of Interior was represented by the delegate responsible for coordination with Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria, according to a statement from the ministry.
Last week, Minister of Interior Emad Al-Tarabulsi, during his chairing of the ministerial meeting of interior ministers participating in the “Mediterranean Migration Forum,” called for support for the specialized agencies of the Ministry of Interior and the Libyan state to combat the phenomenon of irregular migration, which has negatively impacted Libya and destination countries.
During the forum, Al-Tarabulsi noted that the number of migrants in Libya could exceed three million people, especially as around 90,000 to 120,000 migrants enter Libya monthly from the desert.
The President of the Supreme State Council, Mohammed Takala, discussed with the Turkish Ambassador to Libya, Güven Begeç, and his accompanying delegation the bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to develop and enhance them to serve mutual interests, as well as cooperation on issues of common concern, according to the Council’s media office.
The media office added via its Facebook page that during the meeting held at the Supreme State Council headquarters in Tripoli, Ambassador Begeç emphasized the depth of relations between Libya and Turkey and his country’s interest in making efforts to enhance Libya’s stability, extend security and peace across its territories, and reconcile political parties to follow a democratic path that ends transitional phases.
Meeting of Takala with Turkish Ambassador Güven Begeç and his accompanying delegation
Ambassador Güven Begeç commenced his duties as the head of the Turkish diplomatic mission in Tripoli, succeeding former Ambassador Kenan Yilmaz, at the beginning of this month, after presenting his credentials to the President of the Presidential Council, Mohammed al-Menfi, on June 29.
Since assuming leadership of the Turkish diplomatic mission in Tripoli, Ambassador Begeç has held numerous meetings with the Prime Minister of the National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, his deputy Ramadan Abujanah, Minister of Economy and Trade Mohammed Al-Huwaij, President of the Presidential Council Mohammed Al-Menfi, and President of the Audit Bureau Khaled Shakshak.
An investigation by Bloomberg has unveiled allegations of Libya’s involvement in smuggling Russian oil to Europe. In this invetsigation, we delve into the details of these claims and examine their credibility. Join us as we uncover the facts and separate truth from speculation in this complex and controversial topic.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has expressed deep concern regarding the arbitrary arrest and detention of journalist Ahmed Sanussi, which took place on 11 July in Tripoli. UNSMIL has called for his immediate release, emphasizing that such actions against journalists stifle reporting, foster a climate of fear, and undermine the environment necessary for Libya’s democratic transition.
In a statement, UNSMIL highlighted the importance of a thriving civic space where Libyans can engage in open and safe debate and dialogue, exercising their right to freedom of expression. This, they asserted, is essential for the country’s democratic progress.
UNSMIL urged all Libyan authorities to take measures to protect journalists and media workers, ensuring that they can perform their duties without fear of reprisal or violence.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called today in its official website for the immediate and safe release of Ahmed Al-Sanussi, a prominent Libyan television host, who was detained in Tripoli on Thursday.
“CPJ vehemently condemns the arrest of Ahmed Al-Sanussi. The lack of transparency regarding his location and the reasons behind his detention is deeply troubling,” said Yeganeh Rezaian, CPJ’s Interim MENA Program Coordinator. “We urge the authorities to release al-Sanussi unconditionally and ensure his safe return home.”
Security forces apprehended Al-Sanussi on July 11. The Libyan journalist, who hosts “Flusna” on the independent Wasat TV, had recently covered allegations of government corruption on his show focusing on local politics and economics. According to reports, he is being held at an undisclosed location.
As of Friday, the whereabouts and the reason for al-Sanussi’s arrest remained undisclosed, a local journalist informed CPJ under the condition of anonymity due to fears of retaliation.
CPJ’s attempts to reach Libya’s Internal Security Agency for comments on Al-Sanussi’s detention have gone unanswered.
The British newspaper “The Independent” stated in an article published on Monday, titled “The Specter of Bankruptcy Haunts Oil-Rich Libya,” that the foreign currency deficit in the Libyan state budget over the past four years has exceeded $22 billion. This deficit has been covered by the reserves of the Central Bank of Libya, putting it at risk of depletion.
The newspaper added that political division heavily impacts Libya’s economic situation, which has become increasingly fragile over the past year. Negative indicators have emerged in the periodic reports issued by the Central Bank of Libya, which revealed in its mid-year report that the foreign currency deficit has risen to over $9 billion.
The article pointed out that economic experts and analysts view this report as a serious warning, heightening fears that the country could reach the brink of bankruptcy soon. Without real political and economic measures to address the distortions in the Libyan economy, which is burdened by massive corruption, parallel government spending, and the division of economic institutions, particularly the Central Bank itself, the situation may worsen.
