Zawia Oil Refinery announced yesterday that it had lifted the state of emergency after safety and security were confirmed around the refinery complex. As a consequence, it announced the resumption by its maintenance teams of the 2025 overhaul operations.
The lifting of the State of Emergency comes after it was instated following clashes near the refinery were reportedly ‘‘resolved’’.
Zawia Oil Refining Company said while it expressed its satisfaction with the resolution of the clashes, confirmed by the security services that intervened, it reiterated the seriousness of any recurrence of such incidents, given the direct threat they pose to lives and property and the potential grave risks they pose to oil facilities, which are a valuable asset to the Libyan people.
The company called on all parties to prevail and exercise common sense and wisdom, and to keep the oil complex and vital facilities away from any disputes or armed conflicts, to preserve the safety of workers and residents of the surrounding areas, and to ensure the continued safe and stable operation of the facility.
Comment and analysis: Zawia’s cycle of ever-present militia clashes since 2011
The militia clashes are part of the usual series of militia clashes experienced in Zawia since the 2011 February revolution. They reflect a city, only a 40-minute drive along the coastal road west of Tripoli, divided along tribal, political and militia lines. For years, the control over the refinery and access to its refined fuel fed militia/tribal corruption and industrial scale fuel smuggling.
Need for a monopoly on the use of force in Zawia by the government of the day
Zawia epitomises why any central Libyan government of the day needs to have a monopoly on the legitimate use of force. The inability of the Tripoli government to impose its will and security in Zawia symbolises the enduring weakness of the officially recognised Libyan government in Tripoli. It also speaks to why Libya has not progressed – and will not be able to progress until there is a strong government that guarantees basic safety and security for citizens and potential foreign investors.
