The head of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mustafa Sanallah, reaffirmed his refusal to lift the state of force majeure on the Sharara oil field, insisting that work will remain suspended until establishing alternative security arrangements.

In a statement Thursday, Sanallah warned of what he called the dire consequences of paying a ransom to the armed group responsible for the closure of the field, pointing out that the same group have threatened the staff of the institution with force, which is considered as a criminal offence, as he put it.

"The NOC needs genuine solutions and not temporary rapid reforms, which may encourage such acts and reward those who use violence to attain their objectives," NOC's head affirmed.

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