Libya talks to continue as Sharara oil production resumes

The United Nations mission in Libya has said the country’s rival sides will hold direct political and military talks next month. The announcement came hours before Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) said it would resume production on Sharara – the country’s largest oilfield – from Sunday. In a statement late on Saturday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said neighbouring Tunisia would host “the first face-to-face meeting” of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) “in early November, following preparatory virtual consultations”. The forum’s aim is “to generate consensus on a unified governance framework and arrangements that will lead to the holding of national elections in the shortest possible timeframe”, it added. UNSMIL said it “has made it a requirement for participants to the LPDF to recuse themselves from political and sovereign positions in any new executive arrangement … and to refrain from the use of hate speech and incitement to violence”. Participants “will be drawn from key Libyan constituencies … and with a firm commitment to the meaningful participation of Libyan women and youth”, the statement added. Before November’s meeting, the mission plans to bring together participants for preparatory video conferences, starting on October 26. Also, face-to-face talks between delegations of a joint military commission made up of five officers from each side are to be held in Geneva starting on October 19. Libya has been racked by conflict since the overthrow and killing of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. In recent years, the oil-rich country has been split between rival factions based in Tripoli and in the east, in a sometimes chaotic war that has drawn in outside powers and a flood of foreign arms and mercenaries. The two main power centres are the internationally-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and a parliament in the eastern city of Tobruk. Eastern-based renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, backed by Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates, launched an offensive on Tripoli in April 2019 but was beaten back in June this year by the GNA with military support from Turkey. Efforts to move the political process in Libya forward have been repeatedly interrupted. Hope for a solution to the crisis has risen, however, after the rival sides separately announced in August they would cease hostilities. The move was followed by a series of UN-backed talks in Morocco, Egypt and Switzerland. Sharara oilfield Meanwhile, the NOC said on Sunday the lifting of force majeure at the Sharara oilfield came after it reached “an honour agreement” with forces loyal to Haftar to end “all obstructions” at the field. In its statement, the corporation said it had given directions to operator Acacus to start production arrangements, taking into consideration public safety and process safety standards. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">