Libyan Gazette Weekly News Digest 05/06: Libyan PM Establishes Military Operation Room Against ISIS

News Digest
May 6, 2016

Your top stories from the past week:

GNA Presidential Council Establishes Operation Room In Fight Against ISIS

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
The Presidential Council (PC), which is the legitimate authority of the Supreme Commander of the Libyan Army, announced on Thursday that it is in the process of establishing an operation room mandated by the Government of National Accord (GNA) for the military intervention against ISIS forces between Misrata and Sirte. The statement comes after …

Libya’s Best Hope (NYT OP-ED)

(Republished from the New York Times)
In Libya in 2011, an American-led coalition helped to topple Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s 42-year dictatorship. Unfortunately, the coalition’s lack of engagement with the country’s transition allowed a political void to form that a number of groups have since then fought to fill. The ensuing mess has made parts of Libya a hotbed for …

Libya’s Government of National Accord Takes Over Several Ministries

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) has taken administrative control over ten ministries since its arrival in Tripoli on March 30, further solidifying its authority in Libya. The unity government has taken control of the transport, housing and public utilities, social affairs, environment, local government, religious affairs, and youth and sports ministries, and …

Five Killed in Attack West of ISIS Stronghold Sirte

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Attacks carried out by ISIS militants killed five local security forces and wounded 12 at checkpoints located between Misrata and ISIS held Sirte on Thursday. An ISIS suicide bomber killed two local militiamen and wounded 12 at Abu Grain checkpoint west of Sirte, while another three were killed after a bombing in Baghla. The …

Libyan Health Crisis: 12 Newborns Die of Infection in South Libya

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Twelve newborn babies died of bacterial infections over the past month at Sabha Medical Centre, which is south Libya’s only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), highlighting Libya’s deteriorating health situation and need of humanitarian support. “Libya’s collapsing health system has claimed …

Malta’s PM Joseph Muscat Visits Libyan PM Fayez al-Sarraj in Show of Support

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat holds a press conference with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on May 4 in Tripoli. Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat became the first head of state to make an official visit to Libya’s capital in a show of support to Prime Minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA). “The …

NOC Tanker Leaves East Libyan Port After Parallel Oil Company Prevents It From Loading Oil Shipment

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
The Maltese-flagged tanker, the Seachance, has left the port of Marsa el-Hariga after Libya’s eastern government blocked it from loading a shipment of 600,000 barrels of crude oil for the National Oil Corporation (NOC) in Tripoli. The eastern government’s parallel NOC based in Tobruk prevented port workers from loading the Seachance in a defiant move …

Eastern Government’s Rival Oil Company Blocks Tripoli-NOC From Exporting Oil

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) based in Tripoli was blocked from loading a shipment of crude oil by the eastern government’s rival oil company, which also calls itself the National Oil Corporation, officials said Tuesday. The Tobruk-based NOC prevented workers at the Marsa el-Hariga port in Tobruk from loading the Maltese-flagged tanker called Seachance, which …

Libya’s Unity Government Has Spain’s Full Support Says Foreign Minister Garcia-Margallo

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said that Libya’s new unity government has Spain’s full support during a visit to Tripoli with Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj on April 28. Garcia-Margallo also announced that Spanish oil company Repsol is planning on resuming its oil production in Libya once the country’s security situation becomes more stable. “Repsol …

Algeria to Re-open Embassy in Tripoli in Support of Government of National Accord

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Abdelkader Messahel, who is the Minister of Maghreb Affairs, the African Union and the Arab League, said in a radio broadcast on Monday that Algeria is reopening its embassy in Tripoli next week and promised to develop areas along the Libyan border. Messahel stated that his recent visit to Libya on April 20 with …

100 Migrants Missing After Second Boat Sinks Off Libyan Coast

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
An inflatable craft full of migrants is seen sinking off the coast of Lampedusa Island on April 17, 2016. 100 migrants are now missing in the Mediterranean after a second boat capsized off the coast of Libya on Friday. In the second tragic shipwreck that same day, 15 migrants vanished in the Mediterranean after their …

GNA Supporters from the Eastern Government’s HoR to Hold Meeting in Ghadames

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Members from the eastern government’s House of Representatives (HoR) are preparing for a meeting to be held on Wednesday in the oasis town of Ghadames to discuss endorsing the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) The HoR was required to vote on accepting and joining the GNA, as was outlined in the Libyan Political Agreement …

Libyan Migrant Crisis: Eighty-Four Migrants Missing After Boat Sinks off Libyan Coast

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Rescued migrants arrived in Italy after being rescued by an Italian cargo ship off the coast of Libya Eighty-four migrants are reportedly still missing after the inflatable craft they were traveling in sank off the Libyan coast on Friday in rough seas. An Italian cargo ship was able to rescue 26 individuals who were …

NOC Reveals Three-Stage Plan to Restore Libya’s Oil Production to Pre-2011 Levels

(Author: Libyan Gazette Editorial Staff)
Libya’s internationally recognized National Oil Corporation (NOC) based in Tripoli has announced its plans to restore the country’s oil output which has dropped to less than a quarter of the 1.6 million barrels per day that the country previously produced before the ousting of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, reported Reuters. The country’s oil …