The Minister of the Interior of the Government of National Accord (GNA), Fathi Bashaga, said on Monday that members of security institutions have committed some actions which violate human rights.
In his statement, Bashaga stressed that such behavior constitutes a legal offense against security institutions affiliated with the Ministry and violates customs, practices and indeed the law.
He also requested that those heading the security institutions should warn their employees not to resort to degrading practices and physical violence or detain certain accused parties in an unlawful manner.
“Arrests should not exceed the period or method specified by legal guidelines, as set out in the law,” Bashagha stated.
National Oil Corporation (NOC)’s board of directors strongly condemned the crime committed by an armed group on the evening of Monday, June 8, 2020. The armed group, which came from Sebha, stormed the Sharara oilfield and pulled their guns on civilian unarmed workers, coercing them to stop production at the field at dawn on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, only three days after production was resumed.
NOC also confirmed the shutdown of production and declares force majeure on the Sharara field crude oil exports.
NOC considered the acts of this armed group under the so-called Brigadier General Mohamed Khalifa to be a serious crime that amounts to treachery against the Libyan people and the national economy.
NOC also expressed its concern about the breach by this armed group of the strict coronavirus pandemic control program followed in all the facilities of the corporation and considers their entry into the field in this way to be a serious threat to the health of workers.
NOC confirmed that it has informed the Public Prosecutor’s office of this crime and that it will take every possible measure to pursue these criminals at the local and international levels.
The corporation also expressed its total rejection of the presence of any armed personnel inside its facilities in all its sites, any interference in its work, and any attempts to use the Libyan people’s sustenance and only source of living as a political or military bargaining chip.
An armed group has shut down Libya’s giant Sharara oilfield days after it restarted following a long blockade, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) and a field engineer said on Tuesday.
The armed group, led by ‘Mohamed Khalifa’, had instructed employees to shut the field, the NOC said.
Khalifa heads one of the forces affiliated with Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) that blockaded most of Libya’s oil in January. His forces have retreating after their campaign to capture the capital, Tripoli, fell apart.
Production at Sharara, which previously had an output of around 300,000 barrels per day (bpd), had been resuming gradually since Saturday after a pipeline valve that was closed since January was reopened, allowing oil output to flow.
Sharara field itself was not blockaded but NOC said an armed militia had prevented maintenance on a 16,000-barrel tank, which collapsed as a result.
It will be reminded that the National Oil Corporation announced the lifting of force majeure on production at Sharara and at El Feel field on Monday.
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) confirmed on Monday that it has restarted production at the El Feel oilfield with initial output of 12,000 barrels per day (bpd) and will return to full capacity of 70,000 bpd within 14 days.
The company’s statement also said that it was lifting force majeure on exports from El Feel and the Sharara field, where output was also restarted on Saturday after being shuttered during an oil blockade by eastern-based forces.
Two oil engineers at El Feel had told Reuters on Sunday that production at the field had restarted.
During an exchange with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Libya, Mohamed Taha Siala, EU Head of Delegation, Alan Bugeja discussed IRINI Operation and its mandate to contribute to the enforcement of the UN arms embargo as well as its role in curbing illicit oil transactions as exemplified by the disruption of a recent attempt at loading oil in violation relevant UNSC resolutions by one of the operation’s vessels.
Bugeja also stressed the need for serious engagement by both sides in the UNSMIL-facilitated 5+5 talks aimed at achieving a ceasefire, hoping that the latest developments on the ground would also lead to a return to the political track.
He also emphasised the humanitarian obligations of the conflicting parties to ensure the protection of civilians.
The Minister of Transport, Milad Ma’atuq, held discussions with airline officials to reopen and resume flights from Mitiga International Airport, in addition to the commencement of maintenance and development work at Tripoli International Airport.
The goal of these proposals is to recommence international flights from both airports, according to the Information Office of the Ministry of Transport, which was agreed during a meeting to initiate the program of maintenance and preparation work initially for flights from Mitiga International Airport.
It is hoped that the Mitiga Airport would be ready for operation within the timeframe of approximately four weeks from the date of the meeting, according to the Information Office.
The Tripoli based Central Bank of Libya (CBL) announced in its latest statistical bulletin that Libya’s oil revenues for the period 1 January 2020 to 31 May 2020 crashed to more than LD 2.1 billion, while Taxes brought in LD 177 million, and customs duties brought in LD 37 million.
The CBL pointed out that telecoms revenues inexplicably brought in zero revenues, while local fuel sales brought in LD 75 million. Moreover, Central Bank of Libya’s Profit hit LD 125 Million.
These brought in total revenues of more than LD 2.7 billion.
With regards to outgoings, state-sector salaries were as usual by far the largest single item at 65 percent of the total budget outgoings at LD 9 billion.
LD 2.2 billion was spent on subsidies, while the emergency budget took up more than LD 1.7 billion.
Crude oil prices were up on Monday as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies agreed on Saturday to extend their current crude production cut agreement for an additional month.
International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $42.87 per barrel at 06:08 GMT for a 1.34% increase after closing Friday at $42.30 a barrel.
American benchmark West Texas Intermediate was at $39.94 a barrel at the same time for a 0.98% gain after ending Friday at $39.55 per barrel.
The 23-nation group known as OPEC+ will extend its total crude production curb of 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) for a month beyond the expiry on June 30 to July 31.
The U.N. Libya mission (UNSMIL) said in a statement more than 16,000 people had been displaced in the past few days in Tarhouna and southern Tripoli.
“Reports of the discovery of a number of corpses at the hospital in Tarhouna are deeply disturbing,” UNSMIL said in a statement, without blaming anyone.
“We have also received numerous reports of the looting and destruction of public and private property in Tarhouna and Alasabaa, which in some cases appear to be acts of retribution and revenge that risk further fraying Libya’s social fabric.”
“The GNA should take urgent steps to stop revenge crimes in Tarhouna,” said Hanan Salah, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.
