13:49 – Resumption of oil exports in eastern Libya

Oil exports resume on Wednesday in the Libyan "oil crescent", the economic heart of the country, after more than two weeks of halt due to a tussle between rival political authorities on the management of strategic gold revenues

The announcement was made in the morning by the internationally recognized Libyan Petroleum Company (NOC), explaining that Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the strongman of eastern Libya, had told him handed over the oil terminals.

"The NOC announces the lifting of the state of force majeure in the harbors of Ras Lanouf, al-Sedra, al-Hariga and Zouetina after the delivery of the facilities to the company this morning 11 July 2018 The production and export operations will resume at their normal levels in the next hours, "the company said in a statement.

Invoked in exceptional circumstances, the state of" force majeure "allows a Exemption from the responsibility of the NOC in case of non-compliance with the oil delivery contracts.

– Losses –

In the grip of a fierce power struggle and plunged into chaos since the fall of the regime in 2011 Muammar Gaddafi, Libya is led by two rival entities: the Government of National Unity (GNA, based in Tripoli) from a UN process and recognized by the international community, and a parallel cabinet installed in the East, supported by Marshal Haftar

The latter announced at the end of June that he was delivering the management of the oil installations under his control to the parallel authorities, after his forces chased rival groups from the terminals of Ras Lanouf and al-Sedra, in the Petroleum Crescent region (Northeast).

After these two oil sites, for which exports have been frozen since June 14 because of the violence, the NOC based in Tripoli was forced to stop operations in Zoueitina and al-Hariga, further east.

This blockage caused a drop in production of nearly 1.3 million barrels / day to less than 550 b / d and losses of nearly a billion dollars, according to the NOC.

Libya exports its oil especially to Europe. But the United States or China is also among its most loyal customers.

Haftar's decision had ulcerated the GNA, while UN resolutions stipulate that oil must remain under the exclusive control of the NOC and the sole supervision of the RNG.

The Western countries, the UN and the European Union have also confirmed the "exclusive rights" of the NOC of Tripoli to export oil.

To justify his decision, Marshal Haftar who heads the Army Libyan national (ANL, self-proclaimed) had denounced an unfair distribution of oil revenues between the West and East and reported that a portion of oil revenues were used to finance armed groups, including those who attacked oil terminals in June 19659002 – "Equitable Allocation" –

Crude income has so far been managed by the Tripoli-based GNA-based Central Bank, which is responsible for "redistributing money to all regions and regions". institutions ", including in areas under the control of the parallel authorities.

In its communiqué, the NOC" congratulated (Wednesday) the general command of the Libyan National Army for putting the national interest first ". [19659002] "We need a real national debate on the equitable distribution of oil revenues. (…) The real solution is transparency, "said Mustafa Sbadlah, head of the national campaign, quoted in the statement.

" I will work with other national parties to improve transparency and resolve this crisis in the interest of all our citizens, "he promised.

Another gesture of appeasement came from the head of the GNA, Fayez al-Sarraj, who called Tuesday night the Security Council of the To form an independent International Commission to audit the revenues and expenditures of the East and West authorities

According to sources in the Haftar camp, the purpose of the blocking of exports was to to obtain the dismissal of Tripoli-based Central Bank Governor Seddik al-Kebir, accused of financially supporting his rivals.