By Jamal Adel.
Tripoli, 5 March 2014:
Fresh overtures by Defence Minister Abdullah Al-Thinni to protesters blockading the Sharara oilfield in south west . . .[restrict]Libya have been rebuffed as demonstrators continue their embargo of the country’s second largest oil facility.
Thinni travelled to the Sharara field on Monday to negotiate with Tuaregs who resumed the blockade of the oilfield nearly two weeks ago. He had been pivotal in bringing an end to the last sit-in at Sharara at the beginning of January.
Mahmoud Al-Ansari, a member of the demonstrators’ committee at Sharara oilfield, told the Libya Herald that Thinni had offered protestors the same concessions as in previous negotiations and that these were yet to be enacted on the ground.
He said this time the blockade would not end until promises had materialised. Demonstrators from the ethnic minority group are insisting on the removal of Obari’s unelected Local Council which they say does not represent them. A number of Tuareg protestors are also demanding Libyan National Identity Numbers allowing them access to government services.
Meanwhile, The National Oil Corporation (NOC) yesterday reported that oil production now stood at roughly 250,000 barrels a day. NOC spokesman Mohammed Al-Harriri said that this level had persisted for two weeks as a result of the closure of Sharara, adding that the corporation was hopeful that the issue would be revolved soon.
In 2012, oil production was as high as 1.5 million b/d.
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