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| Africa North |
| Libya’s ‘Oil Crescent’ under Haftar’s Control |
| 2016-09-13 |
| [Aawsat] Cairo- Forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, the general commander of Libya’s pro-parliament National Army, achieved a key military victory on Sunday, as they gained control over the country’s “oil crescent” that was under the authority of militias supporting the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). “Oil crescent” is home to two major Mediterranean ports and is seen as a vital source of income for the GNA which is struggling to assert its authority. Previously controlled by guards allied to the GNA, the ports of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf were seized by forces loyal to Haftar, who is one of the most powerful military figures in Libya. Colonel Ahmed al-Mismari, a spokesman for Haftar’s forces, told a press conference that another oil terminal at Zueitina was not yet under their control. “Clashes are now ongoing near the Zueitina port,” Mismari said. He also confirmed that Haftar’s fighters were in control of Es Sider and Ras Lanuf. Hatem El-Ouraybi, a spokesman for the eastern authority, told AFP the attack was aimed at “regaining full control of the oil crescent.” “The government calls on all the people of the oil crescent area — including those who were in the oil installations guards — to join the army or return to their homes,” he said. U.N. special envoy to Libya Martin Kobler said on Twitter he was worried about the fighting. “Oil belongs to all Libyans,” he tweeted. “Conflicts can only be solved through dialogue, not violence,” he added, urging all parties to sit together. Ras Lanuf and Es Sider are together capable of handling 700,000 barrels of oil per day but had been closed for months after jihadist attacks. The Libyan oil sector has been controlled by armed groups since 2013, which led to a sharp decrease in production levels that reached only 250,000 barrels per day, compared to one and a half million barrels per day before that year. From Sunday: More from Asharq Al-Awsat The attacks on Libya’s major oil ports by Haftar, who opposes the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), pushes the North African state towards a broader battle over its oil resources and disrupts attempts to restart production. Armed conflict, political disputes and militant attacks have reduced Libya’s oil production to about 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 1.6 million bpd it was producing before an uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Haftar, a former army general who has been a divisive figure in Libya since Gaddafi was toppled, has resisted attempts to integrate him into unified armed forces and overcome divisions between the east and west regions. Many in western Libya and Tripoli criticize Haftar as a former Gaddafi ally bent on establishing a military dictatorship, but he has become a political figurehead for many in the east who feel abandoned by the capital. The state-run National Oil Corporation confirmed Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were under full control of Haftar forces while Zueitina was still contested. The attacks complicate Western attempts to bring together Libya’s rival armed factions under the GNA and stabilise a country where chaos allowed extremist militants and migrant smugglers to operate across swathes of territory. The ports targeted by the LNA were previously under the control of the Petrol Facilities Guard (PFG), whose leader, Ibrahim Jathran, struck a deal with the GNA in July to end its blockade of Ras Lanuf, Es Sider and Zueitina. But there had been little sign of any rapid resumption of exports in recent weeks, and control by Haftar’s brigades could make the deal irrelevant. A government and parliament based in the east still resist the GNA’s authority in Tripoli and they have in the past threatened to try to sell crude themselves. Mismari said the LNA had been able to seize Ras Lanuf and Es Sider quickly because it had won over local tribes before staging a rapid advance. “This force was being prepared for a long time, and it entered without any resistance from Jathran’s forces,” he told Reuters. One eyewitness said there had been a heavy deployment of LNA armoured vehicles around Ras Lanuf and Es Sider. Akram Buhaliqa, a second LNA spokesman, said there had been no casualties among LNA forces in the early morning operation, though Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said a small fuel tank for power generation had been set ablaze in Es Sider. On Sunday afternoon, the LNA and residents said clashes were continuing in a residential district of Ajdabiya that is home to Jathran’s family. Ras Lanuf and Es Sider were badly damaged earlier this year in attacks by ISIS militants based in Sirte, where they are currently on the verge of defeat by forces aligned with the GNA backed by U.S. air strikes. Rival force says it has seized third Libya oil port from unity govt [AlAhram] A rival force seized the Libyan oil port of Zuwaytina from guards loyal to the UN-backed unity government early on Monday in a new blow to its authority, a spokesman for the force said. "Our armed forces were able to take control of Zuwaytina port and secure it completely," Mohammad al-Azumi said, after the force loyal to a rival administration based in east seized two other oil ports on Sunday. |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #1 IMO, military dictatorship is the most progressive form of government an Islamic country can achieve. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2016-09-13 10:05 |