The U.S. embassy in Libya ahs warned that shutting down the country’s oilfields risks worsening the humanitarian emergency there.
A statement from the embassy called for the immediate resumption of production.
Libya’s state-run National Oil Corporation says troops loyal to General Khalifa Haftar have in recent days halted oil field operations in the east and south.
The North African country has seen a decline in oil exports, a backbone of its economy.
Libya has been dogged by war since December 2011, and the situation heightened in early 2019 when Gen. Hafter pledged to take over Tripoli from the U.N.-backed government.
Hafter announced in early December a final push to take Tripoli from Fayez al-Sarraj’s government, unleashing heavy clashes on the southern edges of the city.
Since 2011, the Libyan war has killed thousands and displaced millions as militant groups and human trafficking cells sought to impose their command in various regions across the country.
Earlier this month, France and Egypt called for the “greatest restraint” by Libyan and international authorities to avoid an escalation of the conflict that has rocked the country for months.
A ceasefire agreement is now in place and has been welcomed by a U.N. peacekeeping mission as well as regional and international actors.
