Libya to resume oil exports from Marsa al-Hariga

Libya's National Oil Company (NOC) says it will soon resume oil exports from the eastern Marsa al-Hariga port, which was recently recovered from rebel hands. The NOC said in a statement that it had "lifted the state of force majeure on al-Hariga only from noon (1000 GMT)" on Thursday. Renewed oil exports will restore a much-needed revenue stream for the weak central government The move follows the lifting of a blockade by rebels that had rendered the facility inoperable. Military officials said under a recent deal, Libyan troops have taken control of Marsa al-Hariga and Zuwetina ports. Rebels had seized the eastern oil terminals since last July in an effort to seek autonomy for the eastern Cyrenaica region. The militias have been demanding a referendum on restoring autonomy in the east. The seizure had slashed oil exports from the region from 1.5 million barrels to just 250,000 barrels per day, costing the country over USD 14 billion in lost revenues. On March 8, militants managed to load oil into a North Korean-flagged tanker that had docked there without government permission. Libyan authorities later said they had taken control of the tanker. However, the vessel managed to slip through the Libyan naval brigade. The incident triggered a political crisis in Libya, with congress firing Prime Minister Ali Zeidan over the issue. Also on March 12, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution, authorizing sanctions against illegal crude exports from Libya’s militant-held oil facilities. Libya has been witnessing numerous clashes between government forces and rival militia groups, who played a key role in the 2011 popular uprising that toppled former ruler, Muammar Gaddafi.