Page 7 - DMEA Week 30

DMEA COMMENTARY DMEA

decision by saying that armed troops from the One of the key players is Turkey, which is
Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), a faction widely known to be a supporter of GNA. Ankara
allied with LNA, had stormed the two fields and provided the troops, equipment and other types
reinstated the blockade. of support that allowed Tripoli to gain territory
Since then, the company has tried to continue back from LNA in May and June.
negotiations in the hope of restarting produc- Another is Russia, which has backed LNA
tion. In early July, it also attempted to resume – and which appears to be responsible for the
crude exports from Es Sider, a port on the north- reports of mercenary involvement with PFG.
ern coast. So far, though, its efforts have failed. As Moscow is a supporter of the Syrian regime,
of press time, NOC had renewed its declarations and it is believed to have close ties to the Wagner
of force majeure, saying it could not ensure oil Group.
flows from key fields or exports from Es Sider Meanwhile, the European Union is paying
and other Mediterranean terminals, owing to the close attention to the conflict, not least because
incursions made by PFG forces. two of its member states (Greece and Cyprus)
But the company has not just complained have raised objections to Turkey’s maritime
about PFG’s incursions. It has noted armed accords with Libya. The US and NATO are also
clashes between PFG troops and members of monitoring developments carefully, as is the UN,
other militias allied with LNA. Additionally, it which has recognised GNA as the legitimate
has reported the presence of outside forces – government of Libya.
namely, mercenaries from Syria and Sudan, as The UAE is also playing a role in the situation.
well as Russia’s private Wagner group – at Libyan The Middle Eastern country has been supportive
oilfields and export terminals. of LNA, and last week NOC accused it of mas-
“In light of these serious developments, NOC terminding the latest shutdowns at oilfields and
stresses the importance of evicting Wagner export terminals. “NOC has been informed that
group, Syrian and [Sudanese] Janjaweed merce- the instructions to shut down production were
naries from its facilities and calls for an end to given to [Haftar’s forces] by the United Arab
the militarisation of its installations under inter- Emirates,” the company said in a statement dated
national supervision and the restructuring of July 12.
security arrangements in oil regions to be under Under these circumstances, peace talks are
the protection of a professional, disciplined and not likely to regain much traction in the near
independent security force,” it said in a statement future. Rather, Libya appears to be headed for a
on July 18. round of intensified conflict, with multiple third
parties aiding and abetting the combatants. If so,
Outside forces crude production levels could drop even further,
The allegations of third-party involvement are leaving Libya – and NOC, which is responsible
hardly surprising, given that Libya’s second civil for collecting oil revenues and distributing them
war has drawn the attention of other players on among the regions of the country – even more
the diplomatic stage. short of money and resources. ™

Week 30 30•July•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7