Libya’s National Center for Disease Control on Wednesday announced it had found 553 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily infection rate so far.
In a statement, the center said it also recorded seven deaths and 40 recoveries in the last 24 hours.
The total count of cases in the North African country reached 11,834, including 210 deaths and 1,152 recoveries.
During “Flusna”, a television program broadcasted on WTV channel and Tabadul Platform, the spokesman of the protest movement “the Hirak” called for the release of five detained demonstrators who have been arrested during the first day of the demonstration on August 23, 2020, near the Martyrs’ Square in the capital Tripoli, and who have been taken to an unknown place.
“The demonstrators who have been arrested by unknown groups are; Mohammed Al-Gammoudi, Mahmoud Al-Gammoudi, Mouhanned Al-Kawafi, Nacer Al-Zayani and Al-Sadiq Al-Zayani”. He said.
“The people held peaceful protests for their legitimate demands … the protest emanates from the people and represents all the segments of the Libyan society.” The spokesman stressed, adding that the protest came as a result of the sustained poor living conditions, shortages of electricity and water and a lack of service provision throughout the country.
“Affording a life of dignity and resolving subsistence problems throughout the country are among their most important demands.” He said, pointing out that demonstrators also called for accountability for those involved in corruption cases.
According to the spokesman, the movement includes youth from age groups ranging from 26 to 28, as well as younger age groups.
Protests against Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) have erupted for the second day in the city of Tripoli, with activists sharing videos on social media of heavy police presence near the People’s Hall government building.
Protesters overnight were met with live gunfire from pro-GNA militias and sources confirmed that a campaign of widespread arbitrary arrests of protesters were rampant following the overnight demonstrations.
The protesters demanded the release of the arrested demonstrators who protested, on Sunday, in Tripoli and were taken to custody by GNA’s armed groups. The demonstrators who have been arrested are; Mohammed Al-Gammoudi, Mahmoud Al-Gammoudi, Mouhanned Al-Kawafi, Nacer Al-Zayani.
Ambassador Norland spoke with Libyan political figures and officials on Sunday and Monday to assess progress in operationalizing the statements issued on Friday regarding a ceasefire and resumption of oil production in Libya.
He told Prime Minister Sarraj in a phone call on Sunday that the GNA’s statement, along with that issued by House of Representatives Speaker Agila Saleh, represented very positive developments and agreed with the Prime Minister on the need for the UNSMIL-hosted “5+5” format to focus immediately on modalities of a ceasefire and how to establish an effective demilitarized solution in central Libya that begins the process of de-escalation and departure of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya.
Foreign Minister Siala told Ambassador Norland in a phone call that Libya welcomed the positive reactions from so many foreign states to Friday’s announcements, and agreed with the Ambassador on the importance of supporting the UN-led negotiations process.
In a call with NOC chairman Sanalla, the Ambassador confirmed U.S. support for arrangements that would permit immediate resumption of oil production with a transparent mechanism to ensure that revenues remain frozen pending negotiations between the Libyan parties on future distribution of resources.
Ambassador Norland shared U.S. concern over alarming electricity shortages, especially in the context of the growing COVID-19 pandemic, and supported the right of citizens anywhere in the country to engage in peaceful protest. He urged Libyan leaders to work together to address the pressing needs of the people at a time of real opportunity for the country.
On Monday, the Head of the Presidential Council, Fayez Al-Sarraj, held a meeting with a delegation from the Turkish firm, Kalyon, in order to discuss the resumption of infrastructure projects which were suspended over the past years.
The meeting stressed the need to resume the suspended as well as the urgent infrastructure projects, especially in energy, electricity, health and transportation fields.
In the same vein, the General Electricity Company of Libya (GECOL) has reviewed an offer submitted by the Turkish “Kalyon Group”, regarding implementing energy projects in Libya, by using solar power.
In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the Electricity Company pointed out that a meeting took place on Sunday, with members of the board of directors of the Turkish firm, in the presence of the Presidential Council adviser for energy affairs.
Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj announced late Monday the beginning of a Cabinet reshuffle amid protests in the capital.
Al-Sarraj made the televised statement in conjunction with the outbreak of mass demonstrations in Tripoli against deteriorating living conditions and rampant corruption.
“I may have to declare an emergency in order to form a government of crisis…Urgent ministerial reshuffles will be made away from the consent [of some groups] and quotas,” he said.
“I will not allow [our] legitimacy to fall and the entry of Libya into a dark tunnel,” he added, acknowledging his responsibility.
However, he went on to say that “we do not have control of all the homeland’s soil.”
Al-Sarraj insisted on calling for presidential and parliamentary elections in March, saying “the only political option to save the homeland is to reproduce the powers through elections.”
The premier stressed that there are some parties that do not wish to hold elections for their own interests, “but the elections will end a lot of the struggle over power in Libya.”
On Friday, the Presidential Council of the internationally recognized Libyan government and the Tobruk-based House of Representatives, which supports warlord Khalifa Haftar, agreed to an immediate ceasefire.
Their two statements met on common points, most notably the ceasefire and the holding of presidential and parliamentary elections.
The agreement was widely welcomed by the international community and particularly Arab countries while Haftar’s militia rejected it.
Al-Sarraj declared his readiness to implement any agreement that meets the acceptance and consensus of all Libyan actors and called on Libyan protesters not to be dragged into the calls for sabotage over the deterioration of living conditions, saying “I have ordered all state agencies to protect the peaceful demonstrators.”
He stressed that there are gunmen infiltrating the peaceful protests and they carried out acts of sabotage and riots in order to bring down the prestige of the Libyan state.
Al-Sarraj also called for the resumption and export of oil and stopping the policies of starvation against the Libyan people.
The conflict in Libya has cost tens of billions of dollars in lost oil revenue, damaged infrastructure, and sharply reduced living standards.
Nearly 400,000 Libyans have been displaced over the past nine years. Thousands more have died.
Fighting stopped in June but both sides have continued to mobilise. The ceasefire call by GNA head Fayez al-Sarraj proposed demilitarising Sirte, allowing an oil restart by freezing revenues until a political deal is reached, and elections in March.
OPEC member Libya holds Africa’s largest oil reserves, producing 1.6 million barrels per day before 2011. Blockades have caused output to fluctuate sharply since then.
Production climbed to around one million bpd from late 2016, then plunged to less than 100,000 bpd as the LNA’s allies closed ports and pipelines in January.
Today, the oil tanker Valle Di Siviglia arrived at dawn at the eastern Libyan port of Brega, at the National Oil Corporation (NOC)’s request.
The NOC said the tanker will ship 30,000 tons of condensate stored in the port to free up adequate storage capacity to enable continuation of natural gas production at its current levels of around 160 million cubic feet per day.
According to the NOC, this will lessen the current number and severity of power cuts. However, it will not entirely solve the problem, given that the natural gas needs of the Zueitina and North Benghazi power plants are estimated at around 250 million cubic feet per day.
In an official notice, Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said Friday that the losses to the Libyan state, as a direct result of the illegal forced closures of its oil facilities, reached $8,809,863,471 billion, during a period of 2020 days of forced shutdown of production in the oil industry.
NOC Chairman, Eng Mustafa Sanalla said: “The blockade has caused great suffering to Libyan citizens, negatively impacting all aspects of life. Electricity blackouts in the eastern region due to lack of gas is one of those effects. NOC is continuing to make every effort to alleviate the suffering of Libyans in all parts of the country. We reiterate our calls to end the illegal blockade of our facilities so that we can do our job and meet local fuel consumption needs”.
The Anti-Coronavirus Scientific Committee has welcomed the return of study in secondary schools scheduled for next Saturday, while taking into consideration the precautionary measures against Covid-19.
The committee said the execution of the study return timeline was connected to the readiness of education institutions to implement anti-coronavirus measures
