National Oil Corporation (NOC)’s board of directors have strongly condemned the crime committed by an armed group on the evening of Monday, June 8, 2020. The armed group, which came from Sebha, stormed the Sharara oilfield and pulled their guns on civilian unarmed workers, coercing them to stop production at the field at dawn on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, only three days after production was resumed. NOC confirms the shutdown of production and declares force majeure on the Sharara field crude oil exports.

NOC considers the acts of this armed group under the so-called Brigadier General Mohamed Khalifa, commander of the so-called Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) in the South, and Ahmed Ibrahim bin Nayel, to be a serious crime that amounts to treachery against the Libyan people and the national economy. The shutdown of production will cost the treasury further losses and will lead to new technical damages. NOC also expresses its concern about the breach by this armed group of the strict coronavirus pandemic control program followed in all the facilities of the corporation and considers their entry into the field in this way to be a serious threat to the health of workers.

NOC chairman, Eng. Mustafa Sanalla, commented: 
"This criminal group dared to enter the field with heavy weapons. It is clear that this criminal group places the interests of its commanders and the interests of the foreign powers tampering in Libya above the interest of the country. Instead of defending the country's interest and protecting civilians, the members of this armed group have directed weapons against our loyal Libyan workers who are making tremendous efforts to try to prevent Libya from resorting to banks to borrow to feed its people." 

NOC confirms that it has informed the Public Prosecutor’s office of this crime and that it will take every possible measure to pursue these criminals at the local and international levels. The corporation also expresses its total rejection of the presence of any armed personnel inside its facilities in all its sites, any interference in its work, and any attempts to use the Libyan people's sustenance and only source of living as a political or military bargaining chip.

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