With Haftar continuing to hinder the return of Libyan oil production and trying to use it as a political pressure card to obtain gains and then occupation of the Wagner mercenaries supporting Haftar of the most prominent fields and oil ports – oil returned to flow again and ports to export it, after it became clear the amount of local, international and regional greed in the wealth of the Libyans and the capabilities of their country.
Forcing Haftar to re-pump oil came after his heinous defeat in the western region, and his expulsion from it on June 6, and after international pressure on him after the defeat from his supportive countries such as France and Russia.
One of the most prominent international pressures was the repeated demand of the American embassy in Libya to resume pumping oil to face the economic challenges and the Corona crisis, as the governments of Britain and Italy and the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also demanded an end to the suspension of oil production in Libya and the resumption of the work of oil ports in favor of the Libyans.
Resumption of Production
The National Oil Corporation announced the lifting of force majeure on all oil exports from Libya, adding that the tanker “Crete Bastion” will be the first cargo ship from Sidra oil port.
The Corporation added that the gradual increase in production will take a long time as a result of the severe damage to the reservoirs and infrastructure due to the closure imposed since last January.
The oil belongs to the Libyans
Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha welcomed the announcement of the lifting of force majeure on all oil exports and thanked all parties that contributed to this.
Bashagha added in a tweet on his Twitter account that the oil belongs to all Libyans, and that its revenues must be managed in a transparent manner and distributed fairly in the various regions, and not be a source of sectarian blackmail or political contradictions.
International welcome
The Embassy of the United States of America in Libya welcomed the announcement of the Libyan National Oil Corporation to lift the force majeure for oil installations in Libya.
The embassy announced, in a statement, that it welcomes cooperation with the United Nations Support Mission in Libya to ensure that revenue is not embezzled and preserved for the benefit of the Libyan people, praising the efforts of all Libyan parties to facilitate the operations of the National Oil Corporation.
In turn, the French embassy in Libya welcomed the announcement of the national Corporation and the resumption of its work, rejecting in a statement its militarization of oil installations, and stressing the importance of maintaining its neutrality and the safety of all its members.
Costs and losses in billions
The Corporation had announced, earlier, that the financial losses due to the closure of groups loyal to the oil rig amounted to about 6.5 billion dollars.
On the other hand, Mustafa Sanallah, head of the National Oil Corporation, explained that the Corporation’s work has just begun after the infrastructure was exposed to permanent damage, and that the focus should now be on maintenance and a budget for that; The costs of repairing the pipeline network, surface equipment and maintenance of wells amount to billions of dinars.
Sanallah added that the corporation should take steps to ensure that Libya’s oil production will not be subject to bargaining again.
Future obstruction
In a statement that preceded the resumption of production, Sanallah said that the decision to lift the embargo on oil “seems to come from abroad, and from regional countries that benefit from the current situation.”
Sanallah added that what some people do not realize is the role of the regional countries that benefit from the situation in obstructing finding a quick solution in this regard.
With all these developments, the entry of Russian mercenaries from Wagner Company last June to the Alsharara field, the largest oil field in Libya, and preventing the resumption of oil production at that time – is a stumbling block to continuing to pump oil freely, which will be reflected in the future on the way of managing oil sales, so the question remains. Will the Wagner and Janjaweed mercenaries withdraw from these fields after signing international agreements, or is it a matter of postponed war?
