Page 8 - DMEA Week 35 2021

DMEA POLICY DMEA

Dispute between Libyan Oil

Ministry, NOC chief heating up

AFRICA THE low-level political dispute between Libya’s Libya’s long-standing practice of treating the
National Oil Corp. (NOC) and the Oil Ministry, position as a sovereign position that requires the
a body created earlier this year by the Govern- approval of other political bodies, such as the
ment of National Unity (GNU), appears to be Parliament.
heating up. Oun, however, has insisted that his ministry
The two sides have been at odds for some has jurisdiction over the choice of a chairman.
time, largely because Chairman Mustafa Sanalla On August 29, he issued a letter declaring that
has been in his post since 2014, long before the Sanalla had been suspended and was under
emergence of the GNU following the signing of investigation.
a permanent cease-fire agreement last autumn. Sources inside the ministry confirmed the
Sanalla has worked hard to remain neutral existence of the letter to Reuters earlier this week.
throughout the civil war that came to a close They said Oun had ordered the probe in
with the finalisation of the cease-fire deal, on response to charges that the NOC head had not
the grounds that he had to ensure that that NOC been abiding by Oil Ministry regulations, the
could continue to serve and generate funds for news agency said.
the entire country, even at a time of domestic As of press time, the NOC chairman had
conflict. not commented publicly on the matter. How-
Nevertheless, Oil Minister Mohamed Oun ever, his company did issue a statement noting
has remained suspicious of him. that Sanalla had attended a meeting with NOC
According to a report from Reuters, the quar- executives and managers, as well as members of
rel gained momentum last week, when Oun the board of directors, in Tripoli on August 29.
asserted that Sanalla was not authorised to act Al-Awkali was among those in attendance, the
as the head of NOC while traveling abroad and statement noted.
named Jadallah al-Awkali, a member of the state- NOC did not reveal many details of the meet-
run company’s board of directors, as interim ing, and it is not clear whether those present
chairman. discussed Oun’s bid to push Sanalla out of his
Sanalla responded by rejecting Oun’s deci- position. Reuters commented that the oil min-
sion, saying that the minister had not been given ister might not have an easy time ousting the
the legal authority to appoint a new leader for the NOC head, as that cabinet department has not
national oil concern. been explicitly authorised to fill the company’s
The NOC chairman’s stance is rooted in top executive post.™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 35 02•September•2021