Events in Libya took a familiar turn this week, as hopes for a compromise leading to the resumption of oil exports were dashed amidst a further fragmentation of the chaotic political scene.
In behind the scenes negotiations, the provisional government and the head of the powerful Magharba tribe agreed to reopen Libya’s key eastern export terminals on Sunday 15 December, provided a set of demands were met. The terminals – Es Sider, Ras Lanuf, Zueitina and Brega – with a total export capacity of 1.1mn b/d have been shut since July by protestors under the sway of Ibrahim al-Jathran, a Magharbi and the head of the Petroleum Facilities Guard, an outfit originally set up by government to defend the country’s oil facilities. (CONTINUED - 1034 WORDS)
