A group of locals, known to be loyal to Khalifa Haftar and have more than once blockaded oil exports, in the Oil Crescent Region threatened Friday to shut down oil ports and blockade exports if the Government of National Unity (GNU) didn't hand over power to the new government appointed by the House of Representatives (HoR) and headed by Fathi Bashagha.
The locals said they would shut down oil exports if the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) continued to support the GNU.
According to observers, Bashagha’s government which is blessed by Haftar could have triggered such a challenge to the country's oil industry as it is the one and only vital source of revenue for Libya, saying that this could have been the government's next move after failing to enter Tripoli on Thursday.
The failure to enter Tripoli by Bashagha's government through western armed brigades came after successful negotiation and mediation efforts of security and military leaders.
In the meantime, UN Advisor Stephanie Williams said Friday that GNU’s PM Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and PM-designate Bashagha could meet to negotiate a solution to the current entanglement, adding to Bloomberg that there had been positive reactions by Dbeibah and Bashagha about taking part in a constructive dialogue.
