In a statement issued by the economic newspaper “Sada”, a shipping agent in Brega and Zueitina Ports confirmed the closure of Brega Port, adding that oil exports in Ra’s Lanuf and Sidra ports will be suspended.
He also added that “the demonstrations organized by citizens led to shutting these ports and prevented the carriers from shipping”.
The dollar exchange rate rose in the parallel market today to 4.58, after it reached 4.20 yesterday evening .
It is worth mentioning that the National Oil Corporation warned yesterday about shutting down oil ports because they will suffer devastating losses estimated at 700,000 barrels per day at least.
Six months ago, Siham Sergewa, an elected member of the House of Representatives, was seized at night from her home in the heavily fortified Buhedima District of Benghazi.
UNSMIL continues to follow up on the enforced disappearance of Ms. Sergewa and reiterates that the authorities in eastern Libya are responsible for respecting international human rights law and are legally obliged to establish the fate and whereabouts of Ms. Sergewa.
Ms. Sergewa’s enforced disappearance constitutes an attempt to silence one of Libya’s prominent female voices and to intimidate others seeking to participate in the country’s political life. Violence against women in politics also threatens gender equality and the building of robust and resilient democratic institutions.
The closing of Libya’s oil ports is “a huge step” by the Libyan people, the LNA’s spokesman claimed yesterday.
Spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari clarified that “the Libyan people are the ones who closed the oil ports and fields, and prevented oil exports.” He added “ we have to protect our people … and not allow anyone to threaten the Libyan people.”
A source at state oil firm NOC announced yesterday that oil exports from eastern and central Libyan oil ports will be shut starting from Saturday, as ordered by the Libyan National Army (LNA).
Tens of thousands of Libyan children are at risk amidst the violence and chaos of the unrelenting conflict in Libya, UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore announced in a statement released in New York yesterday.
‘‘Children in Libya, including refugee and migrant children, continue to suffer grievously amidst the violence and chaos unleashed by the country’s longstanding civil war’’.
“Since April last year when hostilities broke out in Tripoli and western Libya, conditions for thousands of children and the civilians have deteriorated further. Indiscriminate attacks in populated areas caused hundreds of deaths, and UNICEF received reports of children being maimed or killed. Children are also being recruited to the fighting. Meanwhile, more than 150,000 people, 90,000 of whom are children, were forced to flee their homes and are now internally displaced’’.
“Infrastructure on which children depend for their wellbeing and survival was also under attack. Nearly 30 health facilities were damaged in the fighting, forcing 13 to close. Attacks against schools and the threat of violence led to closures and left almost 200,000 children out of the classroom. Water systems were attacked and the waste management system collapsed, greatly increasing the risk of waterborne diseases including cholera’’.
“UNICEF and our partners are on the ground providing affected children and families with support in accessing healthcare and nutrition, protection, education, water and sanitation. We are also reaching refugee and migrant children with assistance, including those held in detention centres. Sadly, attacks against the civilian population and infrastructure, as well as against humanitarian and healthcare personnel are seeking to undermine humanitarian efforts’’.
“Ahead of a planned peace summit in Berlin, Germany this Sunday, we call on parties to the conflict and those who have influence over them to urgently reach a comprehensive and durable peace agreement for the sake of each and every child in Libya.”, concluded UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore
Libya’s state National Oil Corporation (NOC) today strongly condemned calls to shutting oil ports ahead of Sunday’s Berlin Conference on Libya.
“The oil and gas sector is the lifeblood of the Libyan economy and the single source of income for the Libyan people. The oil and the oil facilities belong to the Libyan people.” NOC Chairman Mustafa Sanalla announcedin the NOC statement released yesterday.
“Shutting down oil exports and production will have far-reaching and predictable consequences. If the shutdown is prolonged, we face collapse of the exchange rate, a huge and unsustainable increase in the national deficit, the departure of foreign contractors, and the loss of future production which may take years to restore. The main beneficiaries of this act will be other oil-producing states, and the harm will be entirely to Libyans. “This is like setting fire to your own house.”, he added.
He also warned and reminded that “Blockading oil facilities is a criminal act. If these threats are carried out, NOC will prosecute perpetrators to the fullest extent possible under Libyan and international law. NOC also calls on the security forces claiming to protect its facilities to prevent any attempts at start a blockade, and warns that their failure to do so will force the corporation to look at other options to protect vital facilities that belong to the Libyan people.”
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed developments in Libya in a phone call yesterday, the White House and Turkey’s presidency announced.
Trump and Erdogan also discussed the situation in Syria, protests in Iran and Iran’s downing of a Ukraine International Airlines flight, the White House clarified in a statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend a summit scheduled on Sunday in Berlin to address the Libyan conflict, the Elysee presidential palace claimed today.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will also host senior officials of Turkey, Russia, the United States, Britain, China and Italy at the summit, which follows a meeting in Moscow on Monday where Libya’s warring parties failed to sign a ceasefire agreement.
Berlin hopes to get all international participants to use their influence to push for progress on Libya peace talks, a German Foreign Ministry spokesman claimed today, setting out modest ambitions for a Berlin peace conference this weekend.
Spokesman Rainer Breul clarified that the aim is “broader” than the Moscow conference, whose aim was to secure a ceasefire.
A German government spokesman declined to give a precise list of the conference’s participants and could not confirm whether Fayez al-Serraj and Khalifa Haftar will attend Sunday’s summit, but announced that the invitations “resonated” well with the invitees.
In a statement to “Ahmed Sanussi” on “Flousna” TV Show on Al-Wasat Channel and Tabadul Platform, the GNA’s Finance Minister Faraj Boumtari claimed that Libya’s Central Bank did not respond to the repeated demands of the Ministry of Finance to open direct transfers to small traders.
The minister clarified that there are laws that emphasize the necessity of the merchants’ commitment to supply through the official banking channels , pointing out that the absence of response was repeated because the demands were against the law.
Boumtari announced that he is surprised that the presidential Council issued a resolution to extend the period of imports not only without consulting the Ministries of Finance and Economy, but also without a documentary credit, which is illegal.
He also added that transfers’ issue is very dangerous, confirming that direct transfers are the main reasons that lead to the increase of corruption and its spread in the country.