Protesters have threatened to shut down two oil and gas facilities near the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as a group conducting an anti-corruption campaign issued a 72-hour ultimatum that expires tomorrow, Friday. The group, calling itself "The Movement to Eliminate Corruption," stated in a video message broadcast online that it would "stop the gas flow from the Mellitah complex," a joint venture between the National Oil Corporation of Libya and the Italian company Eni. Any shutdown could disrupt gas supplies via the Greenstream pipeline connecting Libya to Italy. Eni declined to comment, and the National Oil Corporation could not be reached for immediate comment on the latest threat.
The protesters have called for the dismissal of the National Oil Corporation's head, Farhat Ben Qadara, accusing him of "violations amounting to a crime." They also demanded that Ben Qadara be prevented from entering into any oil and gas agreements. Other demands include creating job opportunities for youth in areas near the oil facilities and preventing environmental pollution.
Salah Mohammed, a spokesperson for the group, told Reuters via phone, "If the authorities do not respond to our demands, the movement may develop into civil disobedience." The Libyan oil sector, the country's primary income source, has been the target of local political protests and broader demonstrations since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-supported uprising in 2011. Local and national groups are seeking a larger share of state revenues along with political changes. It remains unclear whether the recent protesters have the ability to close the facilities.
