LIBYA: Key oil ports closed amid fighting Fighting between forces allied to the General National Congress (GNC), the rival Libyan assembly currently located in Tripoli, and forces allied to the internationally recognized Libyan assembly located in Tobruk, forced the closure of the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf oil ports in eastern Libya. The fighting began when forces loyal to the GNC attempted to seize control of the ports. There are no reports indicating these forces were successful. An estimated 300,000 barrels of oil are exported from these ports daily, which accounts for more than half of Libyas oil exports. Comment: The fighting and closure of oil ports comes as the UN was due to launch its next round of peace talks in Libya, to which representatives of the GNC were invited. The talks have been indefinitely postponed. The European Union announced that it is considering sanctions on those individuals who are obstructing UN-led peace talks. On Tuesday, African governments of the Sahel region called on Western governments to take action to prevent further spread of the conflict by Islamist groups. These groups have congregated in largely lawless southern Libya, from where they can easily threaten Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 19:42:08 +0000
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