By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 16 November 2013:
Saying they are shocked by the . . .[restrict]killings in Tripoli, Amazigh protestors which have been blockading the Mellitah complex, stopping supplies of gas to Italy, today suspended their action.
The Amazigh Supreme Council said they had taken the move “on the back of the unfortunate events that took place on Friday in Tripoli”.
A member of the council, Ayoub Sufian, told the Libya Herald that the decision to suspend the Mellitah blockade was because of “the bloody clashes that caused so much death and terror”.
However the Council stressed in a statement that the Amazigh community has not given up its insistence that Article 30 of the Constitutional Declaration be amended to give greater representation to minorities. Sufian said that the resumption of the blockade would depend on the decisions that will be made by the GNC.
The Mellitah complex was closed last month by gunmen and members of the Amazigh community from Zuwarah. Amazigh leaders said eight days ago that they allow the complex to restart as a goodwill gesture ahead of the GNC’s expected discussion of Article 30. However it is not clear that any production resumed and the GNC in any event made no decision.
The Mellitah complex processes gas for the GreenStream pipeline to Italy which has a design capacity of 11 billion cm/y. This gas, along with oil and high value condensate comes from the Wafa field. Gas also comes from the offshore El Bouri field. El Bouri’s crude production, which is loaded via a tender directly onto tankers, is currently the only source of Libyan oil exports. The field can produce up to 45,000 b/d. [/restrict]
