Rival factions have argued over who gets to control oil production, sales and revenues for years, fuelling the political chaos and violence that has ravaged Libya since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising. CONFLICTUnder international agreements, oil exports can only be handled by Libya's state-owned National Oil Corp (NOC), with revenue sent to the Central Bank of Libya which pays for most state spending even across front lines of conflict. The arrangement has led to complaints about unfair distribution of oil revenue, while various factions have repeatedly used force to seek access to state funding. Rival armed forces have frequently shut down Libyan oil output throughout the conflict to put pressure on authorities in Tripoli. More recently, Dbeibah has used oil revenue for populist spending projects that his critics call a corrupt attempt to buy political popularity ahead of elections in which he may seek new office.

Source: Libya Today March 17, 2022 16:05 UTC