The Libyan government has declared, long time ago, that it has established a special force to protect Libyan oil installations, called the "Petroleum Facilities Guard", or the "Oil Installations Guard", and reportedly made of 15,000 guards. This issue was further debated after the tragedy at In Aminas Gas Complex - next door, to which the Libyan government responded by saying that security measures are implemented across Libya to ensure the safety of such important government installations as well as Libya's guests.
Yet despite this formidable force and the false assurances thrown at the media, there were 4 attacks on oil and gas installations in Libya in the past 3 weeks alone, plus the reported protests from Zueitina and from Jalu 59, and all the other attacks on oil installations forgotten from 2012 - more than enough for any concerned government to be alarmed, rather than sit back and condemn the attacks as "unacceptable" after they take place.
This is like the Special Security Force set up by the GNC to protect the GNC, only to see the GNC being repeatedly attacked; gradually reducing many Libyans to doubt the current leadership's capabilities to lead out of the quagmire, before tyranny reappears.
This is like the Special Security Force set up by the GNC to protect the GNC, only to see the GNC being repeatedly attacked; gradually reducing many Libyans to doubt the current leadership's capabilities to lead out of the quagmire, before tyranny reappears.
Not only that, but also it has emerged now that certain militias are in fact part of this Petroleum Facilities Force - something the Libyans had always opposed to, and instead called for the government to dismantle all militias, without exception, and establish one unified force. Worse still, they say "blackmail" does not work, but then even the protesters who occupied the GNC itself, for a full month, were recently bargained with by agreeing to all their demands (except compensation), including no less than 2,000 monthly-wage "for life" [1]. Such deals, Libya Herald says, "the average Libyan could only dream of" [2].
Between October and December 2012 Zawya Refinery Plant, in western Libya, was shut down at least 4 times in three months, by unchallenged protesters, costing the wounded country massive loss in revenues, apparently because the government had failed to provide "war amputees" and the "wounded" with medical treatment for the injuries sustained during the war; for which the government was later reported to have responded by agreeing to send them to Germany for medical treatment. Please do not try this at home; since the expected consequences usually can be no more than what Bin Mokhtar's chosen men had met in In Aminas. Such soft responses, however, from the current transitional government of Libya may be excused to avoid "bloodshed", as the leaders say, but then "where" and "when" can one draw the line? When enough is enough?
- Overall, there were a number of disruptions to a number of oil installations and terminals since liberation was officially presumed, mostly calling for "more regional autonomy" and improved living conditions; with some activists calling for the NOC Headquarters itself to be re-instated to Benghazi - where it was before Gaddafi was installed.
- 20 March 2013: al-Ghani Oil Field: according to Reuters, armed rebels from the "Jawdran Brigade" had attacked el-Ghani oil field. The field belongs to Libya's Harouge Oil. Salah Ali, the commander of "Jazira Militia" (part of the government force guarding the field), told Reuters that the rebel force arrived with "around 150 to 180 pickups mounted with weapons" and that they "brought men from other brigades from other towns" [9]. Two days later, Libya TV said the attack took place in the Zella well, where al-Jazira militia was involved in the armed clashes using RPG, 105 and 106, leaving one well damaged, the offices of government forces burnt, and two injuries. According to one speaker in the Libya TV report, Ibrahim Aljadran had attempted to negotiate with al-Jazira militia to hand over the protection of the field to the Petroleum Facilities Guard before the clashes broke out, but the militia refused.
- 18 March 2013: Dahra Oil Field: armed clashes broke out at the Dahra field between oil protection guards and the attacking armed rebels. The field is operated by the Libyan company Waha Oil. Reuters says its source said the "feud was over who would guard the facility" [8]; and that "an exchange of fire could also be heard at the nearby al-Ghani field". Two days later, Reuters reported the militias were involved in the attack, as well as in the attack that followed two days later at al-Ghani field (see above, 20 March 2013).
- 15 March 2013: Jalu (Gialo): 100 protesters from Jalu were protesting at Jalu 59, also belonging to Waha Oil, since the 11th of March 2013. They have blocked the entrance and prevented trucks from entering the oil field, which Reuters says its Waha source said have resulted in five drilling sites being affected and output being disrupted, and that two more sites will be affected if the protest goes on [6]. The news that Jalu 59 was closed as a result of the protests, LANA said, were denied by the Oil Minister Abdelbari Alarusi on the 16th of March 2013 [7]. Apparently the protesters were not happy with Waha Oil not "using locally hired vehicles and drivers at the field". Berber, Tebu and Arab locals from the rich zone have in the past complained about the state of poverty in which they still live, and about their communities being deprived of their share of the local resources channelled elsewhere.
- 15 March 2013: Sirte: a bomb was discovered along Gas Line Valve 17 - 375 kilometres (خط الغاز صمام 17 – 375 كيلو متر), located 60 km west of Sirte [5]. The bomb was successfully defused by a unit from Zawya's Martyrs Militia (part of the Libyan army), which later said an environmental, humanitarian and economic disaster would have cost the country billions had the bomb went off. Coming just over 10 days after the armed clashes at Mellitah Gas Complex, and 3 days before the attack on Dahra Oil Field, the government must do more than condemn such attacks, and make sure all gas and oil installations are 100% secured, if any lessons were learnt from In Aminas. There simply can be no excuse, whatsoever, for the authorities to leave such dangerous attacks take place.
- 28 February 2013: Mellitah: the incident at the Mellitah Gas Complex was reported as clashes between local militias competing for control over the gas complex, which is far from the truth. Solidarity Press says clashes broke out between forces from Zuwarah and "forces deviating from the law" from Zintan, and that the armed clashes broke out inside the gas complex itself before spreading to the outside [10]. The incident was in fact started by four people from the area of Zintan, in Nafusa Mountain, miles away in Sabratha; where four Zintanis were involved in a shooting incident, before they fled towards Zuwarah, where they were met by a local man. They asked him to take them to the hospital, which he did; but upon arrival at the hospital, it became apparent to staff that one of them was "drunk" and troublesome. When the Directorate of National Security was informed, they discovered that the directorate had already issued an arrest warrant for the four Zintanis who were involved in an incident in Sabratha. When the four Zintani were arrested, the news reached Zintan (or other Zintanis nearby), who then demanded the release of the four Zintani offenders. When Zuwarah's security directorate refused to give in to their demands, Zintani armed men set up a fictitious check point outside Mellitah, on the following day, and took 8 hostages from Zuwarah, hoping to trade them for the four Zintanis wanted by the police. This is the account given by Zuwarah's Commander of the Eastern check point of Libya Shield, in a video interview [11]. He adds that the Ministries of Interior and Defence were informed and that the Zintani kidnappers were informed that they cannot trade hostages because the Zintani defendants were handed over to the Authorities. This apparently, he says, had angered the kidnappers, who turned up on the following day and began shooting at them right outside the complex and even began beaten civilians.
According to another report, also on the following day, it was agreed in a meeting attended by Zuwarah's local council and GNC member, Zawya's GNC member, Sabratha's local council and a number of dignitaries from Serman and Zuwarah that a committee should meet with Zintani tribal leaders to mediate a peaceful solution to the problem. Zuwarah Media Centre [12] says the convoy was attacked by Zintanis before its meeting in Mellitah, and that after it became apparent that one fighter from Zuwarah was killed, Zuwarah's members decided to pull out of the delegation and let the rest of the group negotiate the same agreed conditions. These conditions are as follows: immediate ceasefire; eviction of all Zintani militias from Mellitah; exchange of hostages; and handing over of Mellitah to the Petroleum Facilities Guard. However, according to Ossan [13] and other sources, Zuwarah's military force intervened to release the hostages, and that shooting broke out after a Zintani military force arrived to rescue the four Zintanis detained by Zuwarah's directorate of security, and began shooting indiscriminately including at civilians, killing Rawad Assanousi Alhasayri, from Zuwarah, and injuring 7 more people, 3 of whom were seriously wounded - one of whom died on the 16th of March 2013, named by Zuwarah Media Centre as Ala Aribi Abodieb [11].
The gas complex was closed down for safety reasons, but work was resumed on the 3rd of March, after the Libyan army took temporary control of the complex [14]. It is not clear why the government and the Petroleum Facilities Guard are not protecting such important sites. - 22 December 2012: Zueitina: protesters broke into Zueitina Oil Port and commanded the manager to shut down operations, as they demanded from the transitional leaders to provide them with "jobs" [3].
- 13 November 2012: Sidra: staff at the Sidra Oil Terminal, of Waha Oil Company, went on strike, and threatened the central management in the capital Tripoli that they will stop all production and export unless their demands were met. One member of the port's trade union, Awed Bakori, told Solidarity Press that the demands are not "personal" but were "legitimate demands" affecting all employees, such as increasing the allowance for shifts (currently stands at about 10 dinars); complete their health insurance; reduction of working hours from 12 hours a day; fulfil all the promises made by the company in Tripoli; give some local powers to the company's representative at the port; reconsider car insurance for employees; improve transportation routes leading to the port; and re-activate procedures for "pension", which they say is given to foreign workers but not to them [4].
- 05 July 2012: Ras Lanuf, Sidra and Brega: armed Cyrenaicans shut down at least three major oil terminals, including Ras Lanuf, Sidra and Brega. The protesters said the strike will continue for 48 hours, unless the government responds to their demands, which include equal numbers at the General Assembly. The strike has reduced Libya's oil output by about 300,000 bpd.
References:
- http://www.presssolidarity.net/مجلس-الوزراء-يمنح-جرحى-الثورة-مرتبا-ثا/
- http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/03/05/damaged-gnc-building-vacated-by-squatting-amputees-finally/
- http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/26/libya-oil-port-idUSL5E8NQ3D320121226
- http://www.presssolidarity.net/البكوري-سنوقف-الإنتاج-والتصدير-بمينا/
- http://www.presssolidarity.net/عناصر-الجيش-تفكك-قنبلة-عن-خط-الغاز-صما/
- http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/18/libya-oil-waha-idUSL6N0CAE2620130318
- http://www.lana-news.ly/ara/news/view/16927/وزيرالنفط_والغاز_في_الحكومة_المؤقتة_ينفي_الأنباء_التي_تناقلتها_بعض_الوسائل_الإعلامية_حول_إغلاق_حقل_جالو_59_للنفط
- http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/18/libya-oil-waha-idUSL6N0CAE2620130318
- http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/20/libya-oil-idUSL6N0CCJPF20130320
- http://www.presssolidarity.net/هدوء-حذر-بعد-مُواجهات-مُسلحة-في-مُحيط-ش/
- https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=558123480878648&set=vb.100000430035906&type=2&theater
- https://www.facebook.com/notes/مركز-زوارة-الإعلامي-zuwara-media-center/مساعي-وقف-اطلاق-النار/486584658055844
- http://ossanlibya.org/?p=32265#more-32265
- http://www.libyaherald.com/2013/03/03/enis-mellitah-gas-plant-reopens-after-temporary-closure/
