Libyan National Oil Corporation declares "state of emergency" after Haftar's forces close eastern oil ports

RT
Sat, 18 Jan 2020 13:22 UTC

© Reuters / Esam Omran Al-Fetori

FILE PHOTO: A view shows Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Processing Company in Ras Lanuf, Libya, on October 19, 2019.

Libya's national oil company has declared a "state of emergency" after exports of its oil from the ports in the eastern part of the country were blocked by forces loyal to the Libyan National Army's General Khalifa Haftar.

The Petroleum Facilities Guard - a militia that controls major export terminals in eastern Libya - has ordered local subsidiaries of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), who run them, to cease all operations, the firm said in a statement.

The move makes any export of oil from Libya impossible, the company then warned, adding that it would lead to losses in crude oil production amounting to 800,000 barrels per day, as well as daily financial losses estimated at about $55 million.

Formed amid the chaos of the Libyan conflict in 2012, the Petroleum Facilities Guard, which seized control over the oil export terminals in 2013, has repeatedly changed sides throughout the Libyan civil war and briefly aligned itself both with Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) and with the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), as well as having sought to sell oil on its own. In July 2019, the guard once again struck an alliance with the LNA, which, so far, has not commented on the latest development.

The Facility Guard's order comes less than a week after the leaders of the two major warring parties met in Moscow to discuss a ceasefire between them. Although LNA chief Haftar and Fayez al-Sarraj, the GNA prime minister, eventually failed to reach an agreement, both sides have still respected their truce, at least until now.

The closure of the ports has been imposed just a day ahead of the next Libya peace summit, due to be held this weekend in Berlin and expected to be attended by representatives of major global powers and Libya's rival camps. The UN Support Mission in Libya has expressed its "deep concern" over the disruption of oil production. UN officials warned about "devastating consequences" such a move would have for the nation's economy and for its people, and urged all sides to "exercise maximum restraint."

Comment: Erdogan, unsurprisingly, states that Europe should be supporting Turkey's proposed campaign in the region:

Erdogan Says Europe Should Support Turkish Effort If It Wants To End Libyan Conflict

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called on Europe to support his country's efforts in Libya, where it is providing military support to the internationally-recognized government, if it wants to end the conflict there.

The GNA government may be 'internationally recognized' but it is apparently very unpopular with the vast majority of Libyans.

Erdogan made his remarks in a column published on the Politico website on January 18, one day ahead of a UN-sponsored summit in Berlin that will try to stabilize the country.

Representatives of more than 10 countries, including Erdogan, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and others are expected to attend the January 19 conference. China, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Egypt, Algeria, and the United Arab Emirates are expected to send representatives as well.

The European Union and the Arab League will also participate.

At the meeting, Germany and the United Nations will push rival Libyan camps fighting over the capital, Tripoli, to agree to a truce and monitoring mechanism as first steps toward peace, diplomats and a draft communique said.

Turkey supports the government of Fayez al-Serraj in Tripoli and describes Khalifa Haftar, who heads the eastern Libyan National Army (LNA), as a coup plotter.

"Keeping in mind that Europe is less interested in providing military support to Libya, the obvious choice is to work with Turkey, which has already promised military assistance," Erdogan wrote.

"We will train Libya's security forces and help them combat terrorism, human trafficking, and other serious threats against international security," he added.

In an article published in Tripoli on January 18, the UN's special envoy for Libya, Ghassan Salame, called for "all foreign fighters" to leave Libya.

Salame also said ending illegal weapons smuggling into the country will be on the agenda in Berlin.

The summit on January 19 will put pressure on Haftar and the LNA to halt a nine-month offensive against Tripoli after a week-long lull in fighting. But it will not try to broker power-sharing between the two sides, said diplomats briefed on preparations.

Haftar and Serraj are both due in Berlin -- along with Erdogan and the leaders of Russia, Egypt and other Western and Arab powers. Libya has been in turmoil since the fall of Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.

Erdogan said that, if Libya's legitimate government were to fall, Islamist militant groups such as Islamic State and Al Qaeda "will find a fertile ground to get back on their feet".

Haftar is backed by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Sudanese and Chadian fighters, and most recently Russian mercenaries. France has also given some support.

Haftar thanks Putin and backs Russia's peace initiatve for Libya:

"I thank you and express full support for the Russian initiative for holding peace talks in Moscow, which should lead to peace in Libya. I confirm that we are ready to accept your invitation to visit the Russian Federation to continue the dialogue that has begun, "the letter says.

In addition, the Libyan military leader expressed personal gratitude and appreciation for Russia's efforts to establish peace in the North African country.

Recall that Haftar, who had previously left Moscow without signing a ceasefire agreement with the PNS Saraj, said that the proposed version of the document ignored a number of demands put forward by the LNA. "The project (cessation of hostilities. - Ed .) Ignores many of the demands of the Libyan (national) army," Al-Arabiya television quoted Haftar as saying.

Faiz Saraj on January 13 signed a ceasefire agreement following the six-hour talks in Moscow. In the evening of the same day, Khalifa Haftar asked for time until Tuesday morning to make a decision, but did not sign the document and left the Russian capital in the early morning. After his departure south of Tripoli, clashes between the LNA and PNS formations resumed.

In Libya, after nine months of fighting, the LNA under the command of Marshal Khalifa Haftar and the GNA, led by Faiz Saraj, previously agreed to a truce, which formally entered into force at midnight on Sunday, January 12. Following the results of negotiations in Istanbul on January 8, the presidents of Russia and Turkey, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, adopted a joint statement, which, in particular, called on the warring parties in Libya to declare a truce.

Greece's FM says the army are willing to provide support to Haftar:

During his meeting with Khalifa Haftar, Nikos Dendias expressed Greece's intention to contribute to the protection of the truce in Libya.

In every possible way - to ensure truce - Greece is ready to support Libya according to Nikos Dendias. The initial report on our country's involvement with "forces" in the protection of the ceasefire, caused a lot of discussion and was followed by clarifications by the Foreign Ministry.

Specific sources in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stress that the phrase "Greece is ready to help the next day in Libya, either by joining those forces needed to bring the truce", refers exclusively to observers under a possible international monitoring mechanism. truce.

The Foreign Minister, following his meeting with General Khalifa Haftar , emphasized, inter alia: " I told him that Greece was ready to help the next day, either by joining those forces needed to bring the truce. , or with the participation of Greek forces in the European arms embargo and the transfer of mercenaries to Libya. "

All of this is a contribution to the future of the Libyan people. We want it to be a modern democratic country. Greece is not a member of the Berlin process, which we know Greece has not participated in since 2015, but we continue to believe that the hostess would see our participation as something positive. "

In detail his statements

"For our part, we encouraged the army to engage in a constructive spirit in the Berlin process and to try, within the framework of the Treaties, to achieve a ceasefire and restore security in Libya, the removal of mercenaries, recognition. the invalidity of the unlawful memorandums between Turkey and the government of Saraj, "Dendias stressed, adding:

"I have to say with great pleasure that General Haftar agreed with all our comments above." "Europe has a clear position, expressed by the last European Council," Mr Dendias said. "Our common European position recognizes the nullity and non-existence of the memorandums signed by the government of Saraj and Turkey. We therefore expect Europeans from Germany to impose and express the European position in the Berlin process. We expect the same from other EU member states involved in this process. "

Asked whether Greece will veto a Libyan political solution if the agreement with Turkey is not revoked, Dendias said: "We want to be constructive in making the Berlin process a success. We are helping the UN processes. On the other hand, however, we are trying to help in this process not only as Greece but also as a European country. The framework for the participation of all European countries in this process has been determined by the decision of the European Council. "

And Mr Dendias continued: 'The very decision of the European Council, our common European position, provides for the nullity and non-existence of the two Memorandums. Therefore, every EU country, not just Greece, has the self-evident obligation to support the common position, the position that we have all taken unanimously in the Council. So I don't want to see things in the form of a veto, I see them as an attempt by our common European position. Of course, if this is not respected, then every European country has an obligation to defend this position. And Greece, on which Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a clear position yesterday, will defend our common European position. "

According to reports, the Foreign Minister's reference to Greece's involvement in the truce efforts has to do with the participation in the European Sophia Mechanism by air and floating means of surveillance of the arms embargo (already on paper) and readiness to participate as observers on an international ceasefire monitoring mechanism, if so decided.

Haftar: We are pacifists

General Haftar, at the end of the meeting and shortly before the meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said:

"We are peacemakers. We came here to discuss peace and to strengthen the two countries' co-operation."

The background of the meeting

The meetings are in view of the Berlin initiative on Libya. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will also contact German Chancellor Angela Merkel today and warn that he will veto the EU summit if any solution to Libya does not include a cancellation of the agreement with Turkey.

It is recalled that Greece had requested to attend the conference in Berlin on Sunday , but Turkey blocked the Greek request as one of the founding members of the initiative.

Haftar had recently wondered why Greece was not invited to the Berlin initiative.

Although Greece will not be present in Berlin on Sunday, it counts on France's support, as Emmanuel Macron does not support the Sharjah regime and has clashed with Turkey over a deal with Libya.

"The Turkey-Libya Memorandum does not comply with the Law of the Sea and calls into question the sovereign rights of Greece and Cyprus," the French Foreign Ministry spokesman said yesterday, continuing support movements in Athens and Nicosia.

Mr Mitsotakis will visit France on January 29, where he will meet with Macron and will be at the World Economic Forum in Davos from 22 to 24 May, where Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also be present.

See also: Libya ceasefire holding, Greece proposes sending troops to protect its oil & gas interests in Meditarranean