On Friday, the Commander-in-Chief of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, announced the resumption of oil production.
During a televised statement, Haftar explained that production will resume, according to procedures that would ensure a fair distribution of the oil revenues. The procedures will prevent using funds in support of militias, extremists, and foreign mercenaries.
In his speech, he stated: “The Libyan people have been disappointed by a successive group of spoilers who led the scene. They led the country to an abyss, where their own interests overwhelmed the supreme national interests. They plundered the country’s wealth, neglected the rights of citizens, and violated their sanctities. By their hands, the lives of the Libyans have turned into unbearable suffering.”
He stressed that armed forces will always adhere to their patriotic principles, appreciating the blood and souls of the martyrs of the Dignity Operation, launched in 2014. In his speech, Haftar placed the interest of the homeland, and the citizen above all else. He pointed out that the LNA will fight to preserve the unity of Libya, as long as its members are alive.
He added that “We will not hesitate to make a concession with full confidence, and satisfaction for the benefit of the Libyan people. All the initiatives that were announced under the slogans of a comprehensive settlement and addressing the crisis ended in utter failure. Citizens no longer trust these, because they only work to prolong the crisis and increase its complexity. It does not recognize the right of the people to self-determination and their free will.”
He explained that these initiatives were devoid of concerns for the rights and needs of the people. “After these embellished initiatives, we did not see any progress towards a better reality on the ground,” he said. He stressed that these initiatives neglected the biggest and most important issue, which is the suffering of the Libyan citizen.
“The Libyan citizen still lives in misery, homelessness, after the whole crisis crystallized and became confined to a foolish political struggle. This is a struggle led by a group aspiring to power at any cost, even at the expense of the present, and future of an entire people,” he concluded.