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Author: LS

Tripoli: 30 migrants killed in revenge attack

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At least 30 asylum seekers were killed and 11 others injured in a “revenge attack,” the Libyan government said on Thursday.

The incident took place in Mizdah area, located some 180 kilometers (some 112 miles) south of capital Tripoli.

“A Libyan citizen suspected of being involved in human trafficking was killed by migrants,” the Interior Ministry said, without providing further details on this incident.

The ministry went on to say “the family of the victim took revenge that resulted in the death of 26 people of Bangladeshi nationalities and four Africans, and left 11 others injured.”

The ministry instructed security authorities to arrest the perpetrators and take all legal measures.

Libya is a major point for irregular migrants heading to Europe because of war and poor living conditions in Africa and the Middle East.

Libya: Destined Oil Tanker Stopped by French Navy

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A French navy frigate hailed a tanker as it was on its way to load refined petroleum products from an eastern Libyan port, preventing it from reaching its destination and leaving it loitering offshore for almost a week, four Western diplomats told Bloomberg on Thursday.

The French Cassard class frigate “Jean-Bart” was on an EU mission named Irini that aims to enforce a weapons embargo on Libya and block illicit oil sales that could fund the warring parties, the people said, asking not to be named because the information hasn’t been made public.

The Jean-Bart approached the Jal Laxmi tanker on May 22 after Irini received information that it was headed to the port of Tobruk, as part of a sale of refined products to a company registered in the United Arab Emirates, the diplomats said. The tanker did not continue on its journey but remains in the area, they said.

France’s defense ministry didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on the incident.

Source: Bloomberg

Imrajaa Ghaith was appointed Minister of Finance and Planning

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A well-informed source from Libya’s Presidential Council told “Sada” newspaper that the functions of the Ministry of Finance and Planning of the Interim Government were entrusted to the member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL), Imrajaa Ghaith, succeeding Kamal Al-Hassi.

It will be noted that Khalifa Haftar’s forces abducted the Minister of Finance and Planning of the Interim Government of Abdullah Al-Thini, Kamal Al-Hassi for unknown reasons.

On the other hand, Imrajaa Ghaith stressed in a statement to “Tabadul” that his appointment as a Minister of Finance and Planning is actually for a non-specified period of time.

Libya signs Memorandum of Understanding with Malta

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Malta and Libya on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding for combating irregular migration and consolidating bilateral relations.

This came during a visit by Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela to Tripoli in which he discussed irregular migration with his Libyan counterpart Fayez al-Sarraj.

This is the first foreign visit for Abela since he took office in January.

Abela also met top Libyan officials including Foreign Minister Mohamed Taha Siala and Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga, daily Malta Today reported.

During the talks, Sarraj praised bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and Malta’s support to the Libyan government.

Touching upon the latest developments in Libya, he stressed the need to defeat the aggressive offensive by warlord Khalifa Haftar and his militias.

For his part, Abela extended support to the Libyan government, adding that conflict should be resolved through dialogue.

Oil prices steady, awaiting confirmation of surprise U.S. inventory build

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Oil futures steadied on Thursday as the market awaited confirmation of industry data that showed a surprise increase in U.S. crude stocks, which offset hopes for a demand recovery as coronavirus lockdowns ease.

After tumbling on Wednesday, Brent crude LCOc1 futures were down 0.06%, or 2 cents, at $34.72 a barrel at 13:11 GMT after dropping by more than $1 to $33.62 in early trade.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures were down 0.3%, or 10 cents, at $32.71. U.S. futures earlier slipped as much as 5% to a low of $31.14.

Robert Abela in Tripoli to meet Fayez al-Sarraj

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A Maltese delegation led by Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela left for Tripoli early Thursday morning.

This is the first official visit abroad by the Prime Minister, who took office in January 2020.

Meetings are scheduled to take place with the Government of National Accord Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, Foreign Minister Mohamed Siala and Interior Minister Fathi Bashaga.

Discussions are set to focus on immigration, where the Maltese are keen on securing stronger Libyan controls on human trafficking networks.

Smuggling of Libyan Gasoil: Criminal Complaint Filed Against Swiss Trader

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TRIAL International filed a criminal complaint (“dénonciation pénale”) for complicity in pillage against Kolmar Group AG before the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) of Switzerland.

According to a joint report published by TRIAL International and Public Eye on 2 March 2020, the Zug-based trading company had purchased smuggled gasoil from Libya.

The investigation conducted by TRIAL International and Public Eye retraced the transnational network of subsidized gasoil smuggling from Libya.

The fuel was diverted from Libyan tanks with the complicity of an armed group, transhipped from Libyan fishing boats to larger vessels chartered by two Maltese businessmen in international waters, and finally transported to Malta.

This is where the name of Kolmar Group AG appears: according to the investigation, the Swiss trader purchased more than 50,000 tonnes of gasoil stored in tanks of the Maltese capital between 2014 and 2015. 

“There were a significant number of indicators, all of which were in the red, that should have deterred Kolmar from carrying out these transactions. We believe that the evidence gathered warrant an investigation by the Office of the Attorney General to determine whether Kolmar willfully ignored such signals. If so, the company may have been complicit in a war crime“, said Philip Grant, TRIAL International’s Executive Director.