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By Ahmed Elumami.
Tripoli, 11 December 2013:
Tribal leaders have brokered a deal with the head of the Political Bureau of Cyrenaica, Ibrahim . . .[restrict]Jadhran, bringing to an end the federalist movement’s blockade of three eastern oil terminals.
Elders from the Magharba tribe entered into talks with figures from the federalist movement ten days ago in efforts to bring to a close the deadlock over the oil export terminals. Many of the tribe’s members have supported Jadhran, although they have been seen to be doing so for their own purposes.
The leader of the eastern tribe, Saleh Lataiwish, said that its members had responded to calls for the necessary reopening of the terminals. He said that the tribe had held meetings to discuss with “their sons” an end to the actions at Sidra, Ras Lanuf and Zueitina ports. The blockade is set to be lifted this weekend.
For his part, Jadhran announced on Tuesday that the oil terminals would be reopened on 15 December subject to three conditions.
He has demanded the formation of a committee to investigate previous sales of oil without proper metering, the creation of a body to oversee the sale of oil across the three regions of Libya advocated by the federalist movement and the apportioning of oil to the Cyrenaica region.
Speaking at a press conference today, the chairman of the Petroleum Facilities Guards, Brigadier-General Idris Bukhamada, dismissed Jadhran’s demands as “a formality”. Bukhamada, a member of the Magharba tribe, said that the government would take all legal measures against anyone involved in the closure of the oil terminals.
The government had previously accused the Petroleum Facilities Guards of being complicit in the blockade. Jadhran was the former head of the guards’ central area.
The Prime Minister said today that he expected the ports to reopen this weekend and reiterated his refusal to deal with the federalist movement.
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