US embassy calls for ‘immediate resumption’ of oil operations in Libya

The US called on Tuesday for an immediate resumption of Libyan oil exports that have been blocked by forces loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar since last week.

The suspension of National Oil Corporation (NOC) operations “risks exacerbating the humanitarian emergency in Libya and inflicting further needless suffering on the Libyan people,” the US embassy in Tripoli tweeted.

Haftar’s forces, at war with fighters loyal to the UN-recognized Government of National Accord, blocked oil exports from Libya’s main ports on Saturday, the day before an international peace conference.

The move to stop the country’s main source of income was a protest against Turkey’s decision to send troops to shore up Haftar’s rivals, AFP said. The action has suspended operations from Libya’s “oil crescent,” blocking several export terminals including the ports of Brega, Ras Lanuf and Al-Sidra.