Anti — 29 August 2016

Aug 29, 2016 | Libyan actors

At the moment of partial victory in Sirte, various pillars that should make up the anti-ISIS coalition are feuding with each other. The House of Representatives (HoR) has rejected the Government of National Accord, while the Libyan National Army (LNA) and Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) are facing increasing tension over Zuetina in the oil crescent, and various interests are preventing oil production in order to seek their own demands.

A breakthrough local agreement on 25 August saw a reopening of the coastal road between Zawiyya and Tripoli, shut now for over a year.  On the same day, members from the petroleum facilities guard at the AGOCO Hamada oil field 380km south of Zawiyya blockaded the field and stopped production going to Zawiyya refinery, demanding pay increases.

Zeuitina remains a nexus of possible conflict between the LNA and PFG units loyal to Ibrahim Jadhran who still occupy the port. The LNA expanded its martial law arrangements from the eastern region to the oil crescent by the establishment of a massive ‘Central Region’ military zone covering all ports and extending to the Libyan southern borders.

Unconfirmed reports from Misrata on 29 August indicate moves by a number of independent politicians from the city to meet with General Khalifa Haftar and HoR leader Ageelah Saleh in eastern Libya to discuss a reorganisation of the Presidential Council  and amendment to the Libyan Political Agreement.