Page 4 - AfrOil Week 06 2021

AfrOil COMMENTARY AfrOil

(Image: UNSMIL)
(Image: UNSMIL)
Libya’s interim leaders

facing tough challenges

The new presidential council and prime minister will not have an easy time
maintaining the conditions needed to ensure the functioning of the oil sector

AFTER years of civil war, Libya has taken groundwork for putting an end to the long-run-
another step towards relative stability. ning conflict between various armed factions.
WHAT: On February 5, participants in the As such, it could reverse the economic dam-
Members of the UN- UN-backed Libyan Political Dialogue Forum age resulting from last year’s battles between
backed Libyan Political voted in the country’s new leaders. They chose the largest two factions – the Government of
Dialogue Forum have Abdul Hamid Mohammed Dbeibah, a well- National Accord (GNA), which was backed by
chosen an interim prime known businessman, as prime minister and the UN and based in Tripoli, and the Libyan
minister and presidential also named Mohammad Younes Menfi, a for- National Army (LNA), which was headed by
council.
mer legislator and diplomat, as the head of a Khalifa Haftar and had its base of support in the
WHY: three-member presidential council. (The other country’s southern and eastern regions. Those
Maintaining economic two members of the council are Abdullah clashes brought the country’s economy to a
stability ahead of elec- Hussein Al-Lafi, a legislator from Zawiya, and near-standstill, largely because they cut crude oil
tions on December 24 will Mossa Al-Koni, a former member of the Presi- production levels down from more than 900,000
be difficult. dency Council established in 2016.) barrels per day to less than 100,000 bpd in the
All four men are now slated to begin work- first half of 2020.
WHAT NEXT: ing together in Tripoli to set up an interim gov- Presumably, Libya’s new leaders are eager to
The interim government ernment. The resulting transitional regime is keep the peace so that the oil sector can continue
is likely to struggle supposed to govern the country until the next to generate the revenues needed to stabilise the
with issues related to elections, which are due to take place on Decem- country in advance of the elections. However,
revenue-sharing, labour ber 24. they will face a number of serious obstacles in
disputes and foreign In theory, the selection of the prime min- the short term. This essay will examine three of
interference. ister and the presidential council lays the those obstacles.

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