No Result
View All Result
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
23 °c
Tripoli
24 ° Sat
24 ° Sun
  • Advertising
  • Contact
LibyaHerald
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • Libya
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Magazine
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
LibyaHerald
No Result
View All Result
Home Libya

Aldabaiba’s Aoun-Sanalla crisis summit: Kiss and make up or slap on the wrist?

bySami Zaptia
September 6, 2021
Reading Time: 4 mins read
A A
Aldabaiba’s Aoun-Sanalla crisis summit: Kiss and make up or slap on the wrist?

PM Aldabaiba with Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun and NOC chairman Sanalla after their crisis summit. Aoun worked hard to sack Sanalla who is appealing the decision in the courts (Photo: GNU).

By Sami Zaptia.

Aldabaiba with Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun and NOC chairman Sanalla after their crisis summit (Photo: GNU).

London, 6 September 2021:

Libyan Prime Minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba took no major action after his oil summit meeting yesterday with the warring Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun and National Oil Corporation chairman Mustafa Sanalla.

Both have ostensibly kept their jobs after a kiss and make up meeting where he seemed to have dished out no more than the proverbial slaps on the wrist.

The meeting was officially billed as a ‘‘follow up on oil affairs’’ and a review of ‘‘the problems’’ the oil Ministry faces by the Prime Minister.

RELATED POSTS

Aldabaiba meets Acting Oil Minister Abdel Sadig – previously detained by the Attorney General

Charges of corruption have left Aldabaiba seeking third Oil and Gas Minister in five months

The official government statement on the meeting said the Prime Minister opened the meeting, ‘‘stressing the importance of stabilizing the sector, working to increase production’’, and that he would ‘‘not allow any administrative or technical obstacles to stop it.’’

The statement continued adding that Aldabaiba had listened to several remarks made by the Minister and Deputy Oil Minister, as well as the head of the NOC, ‘‘regarding the emerging work mechanism’’.

The Prime Minister considered that ‘‘the creation of the Ministry (of Oil) after six years of the NOC working on its own requires an administrative and technical organization that creates an appropriate hierarchy’’.

The statement concluded that Aldabaiba had given ‘‘the necessary instructions to address the problems that were recounted, and not to allow their recurrence, regardless of the reasons, considering that the oil sector concerns all the Libyan people, and any procedures in it, whether administrative or technical, require wisdom’’.

Analysis

Deciphering the official statement on the summit it seems that Aldabaiba has chosen to put the clash down to an ‘‘emerging work mechanism’’, ‘‘administrative or technical obstacles’’, ‘‘the creation of the Ministry (of Oil) after six years of the NOC working on its own’’ which meant ‘‘an administrative and technical organization that creates an appropriate hierarchy’’ is now required.

He also put it down to a lack of ‘‘wisdom’’ by either or both Aoun and Sanalla.

Beyond the official government report of the meeting, we don’t know what was really said in the meeting by both to each other or to both by the Prime Minister.

A slap on the wrist and a return to the status quo ante

Libya Herald had questioned (on 2nd September) whether Aldabaiba would sack Aoun as he could have been the easier one to sack and since Libya has survived for decades without an Oil Ministry. Aldabaiba referred to that very same fact in his statement yesterday.

The Oil Ministry was only recreated for logistical / political reasons: to satisfy enough regions, tribes, and House of Representatives (HoR) members in order to create enough ministries to get Aldabaiba his government approved by the HoR.

At the end, Aldabaiba went for the easiest of all options: dishing out a quick slap on the wrist and keeping both men in situ.

Do they both mean well?

The question will be now: have both men learnt their lessons and can they continue to work together in Libya’s most important sector without friction and public fallout? It will be a test of the two men’s real character and intentions.

Clear mechanism and division of authority

It will also be a test of Aldabaiba’s ability to create a clear mechanism of the divisions of power and authority between the two entities so that there is no overlap and stepping on each other’s toes.

Aoun’s decisions now null and void?

It is assumed that a reset to the status quo ante has now been pressed after Sunday’s meeting. Sanalla is neither suspended nor, publicly at least, admonished for travelling abroad without his Minister’s permission.

It also assumes that his referral to investigation and the appointment of his temporary replacement, Jadalla Oakely, is now also null and void.

Who is the winner?

In the political battle between the minister and the chairman, it seems the chairman has come out on top.

All of Aoun’s decisions have been reversed. Sanalla ripped Aoun apart in his video onslaught in which he defended his actions and decisions. In it, he questioned Aoun’s integrity and acumen as a minister. Many ministers would not have stood for that.

Logic would have presumed that both could not continue working together. In a developed democracy, Aoun would have given his Prime Minister an ultimatum: It’s me or him, back me or sack me. And if his Prime Minister did not back him, he most probably would have resigned on point of principal. It is unclear if Aoun did put Aldabaiba on the spot and neither man has resigned.

Sanalla backed by foreign states?

But the incident is also a good indicator of Sanalla’s standing or power – depending on how you want to look at it. Aoun had raised question marks on Sanalla’s integrity too by suggesting he was only in post because of the backing of certain foreign states. These words may have been said in anger, but they are now out there, and they cannot be unsaid. They resonate with the Libyan public, and they will be a cloud over Sanalla’s head as long as he is in office. Some might say they have tainted him for life.

But, when push came to shove, Aldabaiba did not back his minister against Sanalla. Does this explain Aldabaiba’s weakness and fear of rocking the boat if he sacked Sanalla – or does he view Sanalla as the innocent party in the spat and an excellent chairman of the NOC?

Did foreign states lobby on behalf of Sanalla or even pressure Aldabaiba into keeping Sanalla in his job?

Whatever the real reasons for Aldabaiba’s decision to keep to the status quo, in theory, Libya should be having an election on 24 December 2021 – so the government has less than four months in power. It is to be seen if both Aoun and Sanalla can continue to work together for this short period of time – without either or both losing their jobs – or rocking the stability of Libya and its government.

 

Sanalla hits back at Oil Minister Aoun – Aldabaiba to decide their fate in Sunday meeting | (libyaherald.com)

NOC chairman Sanalla suspended from his post and referred for investigation by Oil Minister – his replacement declines the temporary post | (libyaherald.com)

 

 

 

Tags: featuredNOC chairman Mustafa SanallaOil Minister Mohamed Aoun GNU

Related Posts

Interior Ministry’s Diplomatic Missions Protection personnel receiving training in Ukraine
Libya

Nearly 1 million crimes reported to police stations – confirms urgent need to dissolve all parallel security agencies / militias

June 16, 2025
UNSMIL: Warring parties invited to begin negotiations on 29 September
Libya

Libyan Advisory Committee calls on Libyan stakeholders to work with UNSMIL to build unified, sovereign, and democratic Libya 

June 16, 2025
Presidency Council objects to holding of south reconciliation event in Italy
Libya

All recently clashing state and militia forces and their military vehicles will return to their barracks as of yesterday evening

June 12, 2025
Attorney General orders arrests at Jumhouria bank branch for embezzlement
Libya

Criminal proceedings initiated against 141 members of the Central Security Agency and Stability Support Apparatus, and security units associated with them

June 10, 2025
UNSMIL: Warring parties invited to begin negotiations on 29 September
Libya

UNSMIL condemns militia and government security forces clashes

June 10, 2025
Tripoli Defence Minister Namroush takes steps to secure Tripoli after Bashagha alleged assassination attempt
Libya

Calm returns after overnight Tripoli militia clashes – Defence Ministry says it has enforced control, warns of readiness to take measures to ensure security

June 9, 2025
Next Post
Aldabaiba holds meetings on the back of the Tripoli militia clashes – orders investigations and punishment of those at fault: Report and analysis

Aldabaiba holds meetings on the back of the Tripoli militia clashes – orders investigations and punishment of those at fault: Report and analysis

UNSMIL welcomes release of eight war prisoners by Hafter’s army

ADVERTISEMENT

Top Stories

  • Signboards for Benghazi’s new airport at Tika go up – UAE’s Global Builders/Terminals company to implement

    Construction work progressing at Benghazi’s new Tika airport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • All recently clashing state and militia forces and their military vehicles will return to their barracks as of yesterday evening

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Libya’s economic reality: limited resources, liquidity challenges, inflation, and need for monetary base restructuring – Husni Bey

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Aldabaiba stresses need to complete Airport Road works in full in conjunction with imminent opening of Tripoli International Airport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Calm returns after overnight Tripoli militia clashes – Defence Ministry says it has enforced control, warns of readiness to take measures to ensure security

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
ADVERTISEMENT
LibyaHerald

The Libya Herald first appeared on 17 February 2012 – the first anniversary of the Libyan Revolution. Since then, it has become a favourite go-to source on news about Libya, for many in Libya and around the world, regularly attracting millions of hits.

Recent News

Nearly 1 million crimes reported to police stations – confirms urgent need to dissolve all parallel security agencies / militias

Libyan Advisory Committee calls on Libyan stakeholders to work with UNSMIL to build unified, sovereign, and democratic Libya 

Sitemap

  • Why subscribe?
  • Terms & Conditions
  • FAQs
  • Copyright & Intellectual Property Rights
  • Subscribe now

Newsletters

    Be the first to know latest important news & events directly to your inbox.

    Sending ...

    By signing up, I agree to our TOS and Privacy Policy.

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    Welcome Back!

    Login to your account below

    Forgotten Password? Sign Up

    Create New Account!

    Fill the forms below to register

    *By registering into our website, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
    All fields are required. Log In

    Retrieve your password

    Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

    Log In
    No Result
    View All Result
    • Login
    • Sign Up
    • Libya
    • Business
    • Advertising
    • About us
    • BusinessEye Magazine
    • Letters
    • Features
    • Why subscribe?
    • FAQs
    • Contact

    © 2022 LibyaHerald - Powered by Sparx Solutions.

    This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.