Are there new signs of friction between the competing administrations in Libya?
On Monday, Khalifa Haftar, the de facto ruler of the nation’s east, demanded that oil income be distributed fairly (Jul.04).
In addition, he gave this a completion date of the end of August, implying consequences in the event that no agreement was reached. An military embargo of oil shipments has been threatened by Haftar on multiple occasions.
Haftar proposed the establishment of a panel in charge of making financial arrangements.
He was delivering a speech to his troops at Rajma, which is located 25 kilometres east of Benghazi.
The primary source of wealth for the nation, oil, is frequently at the centre of conflicts between the factions.
The revenues are managed by the National Oil Company and the Central Bank, based in Tripoli.
Libya’s oil revenues rose to $22.01 billion in 2022.
Since 2011, the country has been rocked by divisions between the east and west where parallel governments are based. The UN only recognises the Tripoli-based administration.
Libya is home to Africa’s largest oil reserves.