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Libyan Oil Fields Shut, Cutting Country's Output by More than Half

A general view of the Zueitina oil terminal is seen in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. (Reuters)
A general view of the Zueitina oil terminal is seen in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. (Reuters)
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Libyan Oil Fields Shut, Cutting Country's Output by More than Half

A general view of the Zueitina oil terminal is seen in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. (Reuters)
A general view of the Zueitina oil terminal is seen in Zueitina, west of Benghazi April 7, 2014. (Reuters)

Eastern Libya ports controlled by Libyan National Army (LNA), commanded by Khalifa Haftar, shut down oil exports, slashing national crude output by more than half and ramping up tensions ahead of a summit in Germany to discuss the country’s conflict.

The dramatic move came as Germany and the United Nations try to persuade Haftar at the Berlin summit on Sunday to halt his nine-month campaign to take Tripoli, seat of the Government of National Accord (GNA), headed by Fayez al-Sarraj.

Tribesmen in areas controlled by the LNA on Friday stormed the eastern Zueitina oil export port and announced the closure of all terminals under LNA control, reported Reuters.

LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari later told reporters that the “Libyan people had closed the oil ports.”

Analysts said the closure of oil ports would not have been possible without the blessing of the LNA leadership. A source in the National Oil Company (NOC) said the LNA and an eastern oil protection force had ordered the closure of the ports. The oil protection force confirmed exports had been stopped.

Libya’s oil production was an estimated 1.3 million barrels a day before the closures.

The tribesmen allied with Haftar earlier accused the Tripoli government of using oil revenues to pay foreign fighters - a reference to Turkey’s decision to send soldiers and fighters from Syria’s war to western Libya to help the GNA fend off the LNA campaign.

The head of the eastern Zouaya tribe told AFP that blocking exports would "dry up the sources of funding for terrorism via oil revenues".

The tribes also called for the "immediate" closure of the Mellitah, Brega and Misrata pipelines.

NOC chairman Moustafa Sanalla said the oil and gas sector is "vital" for the Libyan economy, as it is the "single source of income for the Libyan people".

"The oil and the oil facilities belong to the Libyan people. They are not cards to be played to solve political matters," he added.

Libya’s oil sector, which brings in almost all of the state's revenues, has frequently been the target of attacks.

Sanalla said the consequences of exports and production being shut down for an extended period could be devastating.

"We face collapse of the exchange rate, a huge and unsustainable increase in the national deficit, the departure of foreign contractors, and the loss of future production, which may take years to restore," he said.

The ports closure mark a setback for the Berlin conference on Sunday where Haftar and Sarraj are expected. The one-day summit is the latest in a series of failed conferences and negotiations to stabilize Libya.

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Arab World

Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
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Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)

A surge in deadly violence has gripped the quiet northern town of al-Dabbah, exposing the growing threat posed by the rampant spread of weapons across Sudan in the absence of effective state control.

At least eight people were killed over just two days, four in tribal clashes and four others in a street fight within the town.

The latest bloodshed comes amid a broader climate of insecurity, where gunfire has become a common soundscape. In nearby Omdurman, social media users circulated graphic footage of a young man shot dead in cold blood after resisting an attempt to steal his mobile phone.

Reports of killings and injuries from arguments and brawls settled with bullets have flooded social platforms, painting a grim picture of lawlessness. Armed robbery gangs are said to roam freely, terrorizing civilians with no security forces in sight.

As Sudan’s brutal conflict enters its third year, guns have become as commonplace in towns and villages as household items. What was once settled with fists or sticks is now resolved through the barrel of a gun.

Tens of thousands of civilians have reportedly armed themselves, citing the need for self-defense amid state collapse and the disintegration of law enforcement.

Even before the war erupted, estimates suggested around 2.2 million firearms were circulating in Sudan’s conflict zones. Since then, the figure is believed to have ballooned, with unofficial estimates placing the current number at nearly six million, most acquired privately or informally.

In al-Dabbah, local authorities confirmed tribal clashes erupted between members of the Kababish and Hawaweer tribes, leaving four dead and others wounded before security forces intervened. The following day, a quarrel between vehicle drivers escalated into a gunfight, claiming four more lives.

Meanwhile, in the Omdurman district of Al-Hattana, gunmen fatally shot a man while attempting to snatch his phone, another grim scene that social media brought into public view.

Weapons have now flooded Sudan’s markets. Eyewitnesses and former security officials say that under the brief control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, firearms were openly sold on the street like vegetables, with prices starting at just 20,000 Sudanese pounds, roughly $10.

Security experts say this gun chaos is not a sudden phenomenon but the product of years of unchecked proliferation.

Under former President Omar al-Bashir, weapons were distributed to tribal militias to fight opposing groups. With the eruption of nationwide conflict, arms have spread from the traditional battlegrounds of Darfur and Kordofan to cities in Sudan’s north, east, and center.

Legal analyst Moaz Hadra warned of the growing dangers of “random arming,” saying some groups are being trained and armed outside Sudan to destabilize the country. “Why are these groups being trained abroad instead of within Sudan’s military institutions?” he asked when speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Officials Downplay Risk, Citing Self-Defense

Despite mounting violence, Sudanese security and military officials continue to downplay the threat. They argue that most weapons are held by civilians for self-protection against RSF attacks or roaming bandits. “Should a citizen wait helplessly while armed men storm his home?” one commentator asked rhetorically.

Brigadier General Fath al-Rahman al-Toum, a police spokesman, dismissed fears of total lawlessness, saying that gun crackdowns are ongoing and that firearms possession is being treated as an exceptional situation under extraordinary circumstances.

Others, like Brigadier General Saleh Abdullah, insist that once the war ends, collecting the weapons will be “very easy,” noting that most guns were distributed under strict regulations to reserve forces and can be retrieved using serial numbers registered to each piece. “The army has always managed its weapons according to clear protocols,” he said.

Major General Mujahid Ibrahim added that Sudan’s porous borders, particularly in the west, have made it easier for arms to enter the country unchecked, exacerbating the crisis. Still, military officials say weapons loaned to civilians can be recovered thanks to detailed logs and unique identifiers.

Yet, as al-Dabbah and Omdurman reel from fresh bouts of violence, the gap between official reassurance and on-the-ground chaos continues to widen. With Sudan’s civil war showing no sign of abating, the unchecked spread of guns threatens to tear apart what remains of the country’s fragile social fabric.