The German Special Envoy for Libya of the Federal Foreign Office, Christian Buck, called for the full resumption of oil production in Libya without delay.
In a statement issued by the German Foreign Ministry, Buck said the Libya’s economic resources must be managed in a transparent, responsible and accountable manner for the benefit of the Libyan people.
German ambassador said Libya’s leaders to agree on the country’s public spending priorities and to establish a joint revenue management as well as an oversight structure through continued engagement with the Berlin Process Economic Working Group.
Buck called on all Libyan political actors to preserve peace and stability. He also called on them to refrain from any unilateral steps and to engage constructively in talks under United Nations (UN) auspices in order to end the executive impasse and pave the way for elections.
He reiterated Germany’s firm rejection of actions that could lead to violence or to greater divisions within Libya. This includes the creation of parallel institutions, any attempt to seize power through force, or the refusal of a peaceful handover of power to a new executive formed through a legitimate and transparent process.
He welcomed the mediating role played by the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Libya, Stephanie Williams. He also praised the role of the United Nations Support Mission for Libya (UNSMIL) in the meeting of the Parliament Speaker and the Head of the High Council of State (HCS) in Geneva on the 28th and 29th of June 2022.
Notably, on Thursday Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) declared a state of force majeure at the Es Sidr, Ras Lanuf Ports, and the El Feel Oilfield.
The NOC’s Chairman, Mustafa Sanalla, said that the decision comes after the 72 hour-deadline had ended, as well as the loss of more than 16 billion Libyan dollars due to blockaded production, and shipping operations at local oil ports. He added that the force majeure is still in force at the ports of Brega and Zueitina.
The Libyan Prime Minister-designate from the Libyan Parliament, Fathi Bashagha, blamed his rival Government of National Unity (GNU) led by outgoing Prime Minister, Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba for stopping oil production.
Bashagha noted that the budget he proposed and which was passed by the Parliament provided the funding necessary to stabilise the NOC and oil production. It will also put in place the checks and balances to ensure the funds are spent transparently thus reducing corruption, he explained.
The closures are a result of protests that have demanded the transfer of power from Abdelhamid Al-Dbaiba’s GNU to Fathi Bashagha’s Government of National Stability (GNS), the fair and transparent distribution of oil revenues, and the dismissal of Sanalla.