Unconfirmed leaked ACA letter purports Aoun’s suspension as Oil Minister ended
Several reputable Libyan media sites have published a copy of a leaked letter from the Administrative Control Authority (ACA) purporting to end the suspension of the Tripoli based Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Aoun. Neither the ACA nor the Tripoli based Aldabaiba government have made any official, direct or indirect, confirmation of the contents of the widely leaked letter. It will be recalled that on 25 March, the ACA had suspended Aoun and referred him to investigation. Khalifa Abdel Sadig has taken over the role as Acting Oil Minister. Oil Minister Aoun suspended by ACA – continues work claiming he has received no such notification (libyaherald.com)PM Aldabaiba meets new Acting Oil Minister Abdel Sadig (libyaherald.com)
Source:Libya Today
May 14, 2024 11:53 UTC
EU agrees on a new migration pact. Mainstream parties hope it will deprive the far right of votes
EU government ministers approved 10 legislative parts of The New Pact on Migration and Asylum. Mainstream political parties believe the pact resolves the issues that have divided member nations since well over 1 million migrants swept into Europe in 2015, most fleeing war in Syria and Iraq. They hope the system will starve the far right of vote-winning oxygen in the June 6-9 elections. Critics say the pact will let nations detain migrants at borders and fingerprint children. Some 3.5 million migrants arrived legally in Europe in 2023.
Source:Libya Today
May 14, 2024 11:33 UTC
Libya files declaration of intervention in ICJ genocide case against Israel
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Monitoring: The Libyan Presidential Council announced last week that it had joined the case of South Africa and Israel, now underway in the UN’s principal court.Libya filed the declaration of intervention concerning the Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip.Libya said it filed the declaration because it believed the Israeli regime has been engaging in genocide against Palestinians in Gaza since October 7, 2023, and failing to prevent and prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide.The African Arab state emphasized the Genocide Convention’s significance, saying the ICJ has recognized the prohibition of genocide as a jus cogens norm in international law.Libya’s intervention focuses on the proper interpretation of provisions outlining the duty to prevent and not commit and genocide, and the duty to punish it, as stipulated in Articles I, II, III, IV, V, and VI of the Convention.The case was initiated in December 2023 when the African country filed an application instituting proceedings against the Israelis concerning its violations by the Israeli forces of its obligations under the Genocide Convention in relation to Palestinians in Gaza.Article 63 of the ICJ statute grants member states to a convention the right to intervene in the proceedings concerning its rulings.South Africa complained Israelis’ conduct towards Palestinians in Gaza breached its obligations under the Genocide Convention. The application filed by South Africa also sought provisional measures to safeguard Palestinian rights under the Convention and ensure the Israelis compliance.On March 28, 2024, the Court indicated provisional measures, ordering Israel to prevent “plausible” genocide in Gaza, prevent displacement and loss of life in Palestine, desist from inciting genocide, and punish such incitements, among other directives.On Friday, South Africa filed an urgent request with the Court for further provisional measures and modification of those previously ordered.South Africa says the earlier measures “are not capable of ‘fully address[ing]’ the changed circumstances and new facts” underpinning its request, citing “the situation brought about by the Israeli assault on Rafah, and the extreme risk it poses to humanitarian supplies and basic services into Gaza.”In addition to Libya, Colombia and Egypt have also intervened in the case of South Africa and Israel, saying all the state members of the Genocide Convention should do everything in their power to contribute to ensuring the prevention, suppression, and punishment of genocide, and, therefore, assist the Court in establishing any state party’s failure to comply with its orders.Egypt’s intervention comes amid an escalation in attacks by Israeli forces on Rafah, a city which borders the Arab country and hosts a crossing by the same name which is responsible for a bulk of aid supplies reaching the besieged Gaza Strip./Press tv
Source:Libya Today
May 14, 2024 09:16 UTC
Libya customs officers arrested over huge gold shipment
But residents and aid workers say that many people haven’t had the cash to purchase them. COGAT, an Israeli Defense Ministry agency tasked with coordinating aid deliveries into the Palestinian territories, did not respond to Reuters’ questions. In February, the top US diplomat involved in humanitarian assistance to Gaza said Israeli forces had killed Palestinian police protecting a UN convoy. Many people were trading canned food or other aid for items they were missing, or selling them for cash, residents told Reuters. Aya, a resident of Gaza City who was displaced first to Rafah and then central Gaza by Israeli operations, received ten blankets in aid packages.
Source:Libya Today
May 14, 2024 05:06 UTC
Libya: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2024 Article IV Mission
Strengthening Libya’s fiscal framework would enhance macroeconomic resilience. Reported inflation stayed low despite the depreciation of the parallel exchange rate. Avoiding the procyclical spending bias and strengthening Libya’s fiscal framework would enhance macroeconomic resilience and reduce volatility in activity and output. In the absence of conventional monetary policy tools, controlling fiscal expenditure would be the preferred response consistent with Libya’s macroeconomic policy framework. Promoting financial stability and strengthening monetary policy requires a comprehensive reform of the banking sector.
Source:Libya Today
May 14, 2024 04:33 UTC
Before Cairo meeting, Dbeibah and Takala reiterate need for holding elections
The Prime Minister of the Government of National Unity Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, and the Head of the High Council of State, Mohammed Takala, stressed the need to implement fair and impartial simultaneous elections. This call came during their meeting at the office of the High Council of State on Monday to discuss political affairs and government spending for 2024. The two officials agreed on the necessity of focusing on development projects and supporting municipalities to implement local administration programs as well as eliminating centralization, the necessity of addressing the fuel file, and establishing the necessary control methods. They also agreed to hold follow-up meetings by the High Council of State, the Administrative Control Authority, and the Audit Bureau to enhance the plan for disclosure and transparency in all government expenditures. Meanwhile, the meeting between was ahead of a scheduled meeting of the Arab League in Cairo, in which Takala would meet with the Head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Menfi, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aqila Saleh to complete their discussions regarding the political process and elections.
Source:Libya Observer
May 13, 2024 19:03 UTC
Russia strengthens its military presence in Libya and also intensifies relations with Tripoli
The Russian Federation increases its military presence in Libya and maintains strong relations with both rival governments in Tripoli (west) and Benghazi (east). A high-level Libyan political and military delegation traveled to Moscow, Russia today for talks on the latest security and military developments in Libya, but also on key economic, oil and gas files. General Haddad, the highest ranking soldier in western Libya, has solid relations with Turkey, the main military partner of the GUN which prevented Haftar from conquering Tripoli "manu militari" in the 2019-2020 war. “Unlike his brother Saddam, who plays a more open political role towards western Libya, Khaled is very impressed by the Russians and their weapons,” the sources add. The political and military delegation from Tripoli arrives in Moscow after rumors about the increase in Russia's military presence in Cyrenaica and Fezzan, in the territories controlled by General Khalifa Haftar's ENL.
Source:Libya Today
May 13, 2024 17:00 UTC
IMF 2024 Concluding Statement on Libya’s Article IV consultations
In its Concluding Statement on its 2024 Mission on Article IV consultations with released today, the IMF said Libya’s short- and medium-term economic outlook is dominated by the dynamics of hydrocarbon production. The consultations discuss Libya’s economic and financial developments, the macroeconomic outlook, and the country’s policy and reform priorities. Strengthening Libya’s fiscal framework would enhance macroeconomic resilience. Avoiding the procyclical spending bias and strengthening Libya’s fiscal framework would enhance macroeconomic resilience and reduce volatility in activity and output. In this regard, improving costing tools and developing a fiscal framework for resource management would be a critical first step.
Source:Libya Today
May 13, 2024 14:53 UTC
Libya: Tripoli's chief of staff flies to Russia a few days after the visit of Haftar's son
The Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces loyal to the Government of National Unity (GUN) based in Tripoli, General Mohammed al Haddad, is expected in these hours on an official visit to Moscow. This was revealed by the Russian ambassador to Libya, Haider Aghanin, in an interview with the Tripoli television station "Libya Al Ahrar”. Haddad's mission comes a few days after the visit to Russia of Khaled Haftar, son of General Khalifa Haftar, in his capacity as commander of the Security Forces of the Libyan National Army (NLA) based in Benghazi, in eastern Libya. At the center of the talks, the sources explain, will be the latest security and military developments in Libya, but also economic, oil and gas files. Yet Russia also maintains relations with western Libya, as demonstrated by the reopening of the embassy in Tripoli last February and Haddad's current mission to Moscow.
Source:Libya Today
May 13, 2024 09:33 UTC
Former chairman of Afriqiyah Airlines detained over unaccountable US$ 950,000
The Attorney General’s Office announced last Friday (10 May) that the former chairman of the state Afriqiyah Airlines has been put in provisional detention, pending investigation. He is accused of causing serious damage to public funds due to the unaccountability of US$ 950,000. He is accused of intentionally spending the amount without providing documents or invoices. He is also accused of achieving illegal material gain for others to the amount of US$ 30,000. As is the usual practice of the Attorney General’s Office, the accused is not named.
Source:Libya Today
May 13, 2024 01:03 UTC
Woman in trouble for ‘trafficking student to Libya’
A middle aged woman, Abike Olonade, has been arrested for allegedly trafficking a 16-year-old student to Libya. It was reliably gathered that the victim, whose name has been kept under wrap, is a student of Adeoye Lambo Secondary School in Obada Oko, Ewekoro local government area of Ogun State. Confirming the arrest, police spokesman, Omolola Odutola, in a statement in Abeokuta, on Saturday, said the suspect confessed to trafficking the victim to Libya. She said, “One Abike Olonade has been arrested for trafficking 16 year old student of Ademoye Lambo Secondary School in Obada Oko, Ogun State. “She confessed that the victim have been trafficked to Libya.”
Source:Libya Today
May 12, 2024 23:03 UTC
Blinken delivers some of the strongest US public criticism of Israel's conduct of the war in Gaza
Hamas has reemerged in parts of Gaza, Blinken said, and that “heavy action” by Israeli forces in the southern city of Rafah risks leaving America's closest Mideast ally “holding the bag on an enduring insurgency." Meanwhile, the exodus of Palestinians from Gaza’s last refuge accelerated Sunday as Israeli forces pushed deeper into the southern city of Rafah. Israel also pounded the territory’s devastated north, where some Hamas militants have regrouped in areas the military said it had cleared months ago. On Sunday, Hamas touted attacks against Israeli soldiers in Rafah and near Gaza City. Palestinians reported heavy Israeli bombardment overnight in the urban Jabaliya refugee camp and other areas in northern Gaza, which has been largely isolated by Israeli forces for months.
Source:Libya Today
May 12, 2024 22:31 UTC
Misrata Airport increases flights by 66 percent and passengers by 89 percent from 2023-24
Misrata Airport revealed today that flights increased by 66 percent from 248 to 412 between April 2023 and April 2024. Meanwhile passengers increased by 89 percent from 11,935 to 22,554 in the same period.
Source:Libya Today
May 12, 2024 22:19 UTC
Restarting of 9 AGOCO closed wells add 4,000 barrels per day to production: NOC
The Libyan state National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced today that the technical teams of its Arabian Gulf Oil Company (AGOCO) were able to carry out precise and important repairs, which resulted in the restarting of 9 wells that were closed in the Sarir oil field. These repairs have led to a total production estimated at about 4,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The repairs carried out included repairing faults in the high-voltage electricity network supplying 4 wells (C-178, C-221A, C-227, C-242) that were offline, and repairing leaks in the flow lines of 4 other wells (C-82, C128), C-264, C348), and completing the electrical and mechanical connection of the well (C-309). The NOC said this comes in implementation of its plan to increase production.
Source:Libya Today
May 12, 2024 20:36 UTC
Can we finally agree that UN’s Libya mission is not working?
Can we finally agree that UN’s Libya mission is not working? Historically, parallel discussions outside of Libya tend to prioritize the elevation of foreign interests and elite bargains among the Libyan actors they support, legitimizing their entrenchment. From its inception, the UN’s Libya mission was kneecapped by a limited mandate — attributed to the international community’s hesitancy and fragmented engagement. Finally, the UN mission must evolve to facilitate a genuinely inclusive political process, one that transcends elite negotiations to incorporate a broader spectrum of Libyan society. The road to a stable, unified Libya is fraught with complexities that have stymied eight UN envoys.
Source:Libya Today
May 12, 2024 20:33 UTC