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Protesters Partially Shut Libya Oilfield, Demand Unpaid Wages

A general view shows Libya's Sharara oilfield. (File photo: Reuters)
A general view shows Libya's Sharara oilfield. (File photo: Reuters)
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Protesters Partially Shut Libya Oilfield, Demand Unpaid Wages

A general view shows Libya's Sharara oilfield. (File photo: Reuters)
A general view shows Libya's Sharara oilfield. (File photo: Reuters)

Members of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) in Libya announced that an armed group took control and shut down oil and gas fields in the southwest, demanding their unpaid salaries and other benefits.

In a statement, the protestors said they had granted the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity (GNU) a 48-hour deadline to meet their demands, but "to no avail."

They noted that head of the GNU Abdulhamid Dbeibeh had ordered authorities to grant them their dues, but nothing happened.

The statement said there was "no adherence" to any of Dbeibeh’s instructions to "consider the situation of the PFG and its members, restore their full rights, and implement the decisions regarding their financial dues."

Members of the PFG lined up in front of the North Hamada field in southern Libya to protest the authorities’ neglect of their legitimate demands.

They said they had held several peaceful protests without sabotaging or violating state property.

Since Libya slid into chaos after the 2014 revolt, various forces have used oil revenues as a "pressure card" against politicians to meet their demands.

The PFG said they were loyal "soldiers to the Libyan people," pointing out that since the Feb. 17 revolution, they had left their jobs and families to "protect the homeland and source of the Libyans' livelihood", including oil and gas fields.

They said they had resorted to the partial closure after having grown "fed up" with the authorities for failing to meet their demands.

Last Tuesday, employees of the Petroleum Facilities Guard at the Zawiya Refinery announced the closure of the refinery and the Mellitah and Misrata oil complexes, demanding their rights, including unpaid salaries and settlements.

They also demanded the implementation of the decision to grant them health insurance, similar to the employees of the National Oil Corporation.

Libya’s oil production will once again fall victim to the cycle of "partial closure" if the Petroleum Facilities Guard continue the shutdown.

On Jan. 3, "Youth and Women in Fezzan" protesters shut down the Sharara oilfield, forcing the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to declare force majeure.

It lifted the "force majeure" on Jan. 23 and announced the resumption of production.

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Demarcating the Lebanese–Syrian Border Tops Agenda of Trump’s Envoy in Beirut

Talks between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US envoy Thomas Barrack two weeks ago in Beirut (AP). 
Talks between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US envoy Thomas Barrack two weeks ago in Beirut (AP). 
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Demarcating the Lebanese–Syrian Border Tops Agenda of Trump’s Envoy in Beirut

Talks between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US envoy Thomas Barrack two weeks ago in Beirut (AP). 
Talks between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and US envoy Thomas Barrack two weeks ago in Beirut (AP). 

US Ambassador to Türkiye Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Syria, is prioritizing the demarcation of the Lebanese–Syrian border during his meetings in Beirut this week with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Army leadership.

The border issue is expected to feature prominently in Lebanon’s response to proposals Barrack presented, as he considers it essential for establishing a mechanism to implement the ceasefire agreement with Israel and asserting Lebanese sovereignty under UN Resolution 1701.

According to Lebanese ministerial sources speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Saudi Arabia recently hosted a Lebanese–Syrian meeting that defused tensions and ended clashes across the overlapping areas between the two countries in northern Bekaa. Riyadh’s mediation created a favorable climate to advance border demarcation along the roughly 375-kilometer frontier from north to east.

Saudi sponsorship of this process, along with measures by the joint Lebanese–Syrian committee to prevent further clashes, strengthened Washington’s interest in supporting these efforts. Much of the violence has stemmed from rival smuggling networks once protected by the former Syrian regime and used for trafficking Captagon into Lebanon and beyond.

Calls to demarcate the border date back to the National Dialogue Committee’s first session in 2006, convened by Berri. At Hezbollah’s request, the term “demarcation” was replaced with “delineation,” arguing it was more appropriate for relations between “brotherly nations.” Nevertheless, the issue remained unresolved as Syria refused to engage in formal negotiations, especially before the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, when Damascus consistently blocked references to completing the Taif Agreement or withdrawing Syrian troops from Beirut.

Later attempts during Saad Hariri’s premiership under President Michel Sleiman also stalled when President Bashar al-Assad declined to cooperate, citing other priorities. Illegal crossings continued to proliferate, justified as necessary for Hezbollah’s movement to avoid Israeli monitoring and to maintain unregulated “military routes” for arms smuggling.

Sources revealed that in a Damascus meeting co-chaired by Hariri and Assad, Lebanon requested not only border demarcation but also a review of bilateral agreements under the Treaty of Brotherhood to address their pro-Syrian bias. While the status of the occupied Shebaa Farms was briefly raised, it was withdrawn to avoid jeopardizing talks. Though an agreement was reached to start demarcation from the northern border, Syrian officials later backed out, citing preoccupation with the Jordanian border.

Lebanon has since prepared a detailed file with maps and coordinates, ready to support renewed negotiations under President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Officials believe the time is now ripe to demarcate the border and end agreements that once facilitated Syria’s dominance over Lebanon.