Libya’s Prime Minister-designate, Fathi Bashagha stated that he was “shocked by the catastrophic living conditions” in the cities and regions he visited.
“When we visited some areas of our beloved Libya. Like Sebha, Al-Jufra, Sirte, Ajdabiya, Brega, and Ras Lanuf, we were shocked by the catastrophic situation in which the citizens live in these areas. Dilapidated and crumbling roads, you would find yourself in the middle of the road walking on sand, needing a guide,” he said.
“I listened to heartbreaking stories of families who got lost in the desert and died of thirst. I found cities without sewage networks, and ‘ghost towns’. I used to say that Tripoli needs development and urbanization, and I saw areas in Souq Al-Jumaa and Tajoura. Their level of its infrastructure is low, but I was shocked that there are areas in Libya abandoned by their inhabitants, because they’re no longer fit for human life,” Bashagha added.
“It is a very horrific and dangerous thing that we must convey, so that we are aware of the effects and results of corruption that must be combated. The state must be based on the foundations of justice and equity,” he concluded.
On Thursday, Bashagha described the demands of protesters in the oil crescent region as “legitimate.”
He stated that they “had the right to be against the current oil revenue management system, but shutting down oilfields and ports will not solve the problem. It will only disrupt operations, and negatively affect production.”
In a series of tweets, Bashagha indicated that his government had addressed the Chairman of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanalla. They stressed the need to resume production and exports as soon as possible, “in order to avoid serious damage that the closures could cause to the national economy, and the sector’s infrastructure.”
Bashagha expressed his willingness to complete all necessary procedures to preserve revenues in NOC accounts, while continuing to pay salaries and fuel subsidies. This is to ensure the fair and transparent management and distribution of revenues.
The latest round of protests has disrupted operations at the 300,000 b/d El-Sahrara and 70,000 b/d El-Feel fields, as well as the Zueitina and Marsa El-Brega terminals. The smaller Abu Al-Tilf, Intisar, Nakhla, and Nafoora fields have also been forced to cut output. Armed clashes were reported at Libya’s largest operational refinery, the 120,000 b/d Zawia facility. Several storage tanks were damaged in last week’s fighting, according to the NOC.