TRIPOLI, Sept 24 (NNN-XINHUA) — Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States declared support for the National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya’s UN-backed government.
“We fully support Libya’s NOC as the country’s sole independent, legitimate and nonpartisan oil company,” said a joint statement issued by these countries.
“Now is the time to consolidate national economic institutions rather than break them apart. For the sake of Libya’s political and economic stability, and the well-being of all its citizens, we exclusively support the NOC and its crucial role on behalf of all Libyans,” the statement said.
A few days ago, NOC condemned attempts to divide its subsidiary company Brega Petroleum Marketing Company (BPMC) by some of BPMC’s board members and the eastern-based army.
Libya is politically divided in east and west, each of which has its own oil corporation.
However, the international community only recognizes the NOC of the UN-backed government based in Tripoli.
The eastern-based government claimed that the NOC has decreased supplies of aircraft fuel to areas controlled by the eastern-based army, in order to prevent the army from using the supplies in the current fighting against the UN-backed government in and around the capital Tripoli.
NOC Chairman denied reducing fuel supplies to eastern and central regions, claiming that the fuel provided is “more than adequate for civilian purposes.”
Separately, Libya’s eastern-based army said it launched airstrikes in south of the capital Tripoli on Sunday night and killed 20 of the rival UN-backed government’s forces.
“Fighter jets of the air force targeted a position of the militias (UN-backed government’s forces) in Hira area (southern Tripoli), destroying 4 of the enemy’s armored vehicles and killing 20 of their troops,” said a statement issued by the army’s information office.
The statement confirmed that the “air force of the armed forces covers all areas of military operations,” threatening to target any “suspicious movements or positions.”
On Sunday, the eastern-based army announced killing more than 90 of the UN-backed government’s forces and injuring 150 others during battles that took place in the previous two days.
For more than 5 months, the capital Tripoli has been witnessing a vicious war between the UN-backed government’s forces and the eastern-based army, which is trying to take over Tripoli and overthrow the UN-backed government.
Thousands have been killed and injured in the fighting, and nearly 120,000 were forced to flee their homes away from the violence.
The 2011 uprising that toppled the late leader Muammar Gaddafi created a state of chaos, insecurity and political instability in Libya. — NNN-XINHUA