The United States has urged Libyan political actors to abandon threats of an oil shutdown that would harm Libya's economy and its people, according to a statement by the US Special Envoy to Libya/ Ambassador Richard Norland.
Norland, who joined a discussion on the US Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability at Johns Hopkins University, said that Washington believes that such a step "would be highly destructive to Libya's economy and hurt all Libyans."
"We call on Libyan leaders to implement an inclusive revenue management mechanism as a constructive way to address grievances over distribution of oil revenues and instill transparency without compromising Libya's economic health or the apolitical nature of the NOC," Ambassador Norland added.
Last week, the head of the east-based rival government, Osama Hammad, threatened to stop oil and gas operations and declare force majeure as he claimed that the state-run oil corporation (NOC) "enabled" the Government of National Unity, stationed in Tripoli, to lay its hands on $16 billion in oil revenues.
Minister of Oil and Gas in the GNU, Muhammad Aoun, expressed his concern about the new calls to shut down oil sites stressing that the Libyan people will be the most affected if the relevant parties act on their threats.
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