The protest movement of the inhabitants of southern Libia called "born just over three months ago"Anger of Fezzan”, Continues its activity to ask for security, work and development. This was reported by the Italian news agency Nova. Also following the launch in mid-January of a military offensive of the forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar, Cirenaica's strongman, aimed at seizing control of Sebha, the most important city south of Libya, and of the adjacent areas in the south-western part of the country. Many were convinced that with the arrival of Haftar the movement of the "Fezzan Rage" would lose control of vital sites in the area, from oil fields to aqueducts, which are also considered the "undeclared" objectives of Haftar's forces.
Nova interviewed Bashir Sheik, coordinator and founder of the youth movement, responsible for closing the oil field in the Libyan Murzuq desert. The young Libyan explained that "even now" the activities of the movement "affect the situation on the ground, enjoying the support of the tribes and municipalities of the south".
Speaking of the changes and the results obtained by the group in recent months, Sheik said: "Our movement consists of people from different areas of the south. We started this initiative after the situation in Fezzan became unsustainable and because the state does not react if it is not provoked. In particular, after our last event, which no media has followed, we decided to close the al Sharara oil plant". As for the support enjoyed by the movement, its leader claims that he still benefits from "the support of all members of Fezzan". According to Sheik, the success of the movement is made evident by the fact that support for the group "translates into a supply of fuel, gas and money". A support that "was unexpected for some", the Libyan representative underlined.
Sheik highlighted in particular how the "Anger of Fezzan" movement enjoys "the support of all tribes and does not side with any of them, managing to reach all the mayors and parliamentarians elected in the region, as well as political and social forces and in all the villages ". Speaking of the changed situation in southern Libya due to the arrival of the forces of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army, Sheik explained that this offensive "does not conflict with our objectives even if our strongest weapon, that of exerting pressure on Tripoli through oil sites, also be their undeclared goal in the near future. From the beginning we have called for the safety of citizens and the implementation of the law in Fezzan. So far we are not opposed to any force coming to the region to secure it, be it from the east or the west ”.
The general coordination of the movement wants to underline that the necessity of development of the region is among the main reasons that pushed it to move in this direction and that is also the basis of the phenomenon of illegal immigration present in the region. "As everyone knows - said Sheik - the lack of development has led some to join groups of human traffickers and to carry out other crimes. We ourselves suffer from the presence of this phenomenon and we are worried about the consequences it has for the region ". Sheik says he is ready to make his own contribution, and that of the movement, to fight illegal migration and has asked the government of Tripoli for the support necessary to do so.
Regarding the story of the closure of the al Sharara oil plant following the occupation by the movement's activists, the coordinator of "Anger of Fezzan" blames the president of the national oil company National Oil for the continuing closure of the plants. Corporation (Noc), Mustafa Sanallah, who "has decreed a state of force majeure in the area". To solve this problem, the movement intends to hold a popular assembly in the near future, bringing together young and senior notables from the south in an important intergenerational union, in the presence of all the national forces from every component of the south and from all cities. The purpose of the meeting is to ensure that the government addresses the findings of the consultation. If not, the movement is ready to return to confrontation.
Sheik has expressed a negative opinion regarding the visit made by the Prime Minister of the Libyan national agreement of Tripoli, Fayez al Sarraj, in the plants of al Sharara last 19 December, at the end of which it was announced the reaching of an agreement that would have brought back to the reopening of the oil plants: "The promises made by the premier, among which the allocation of a billion Libyan dinars for the development of the south, have not been realized unless very slowly. The government must listen to the needs of the south and the proposed projects for the use of these funds must respond to the needs of the population ".
Finally, the general coordinator of the “Anger of Fezzan” movement appreciated the efforts of the Italian government to support southern Libya, especially when Rome sponsored some reconciliation agreements between tribes in the region in the past; this despite the fact that there are delays in respecting the promises made regarding the payment of the compensation promised to those who have suffered damage in clashes between tribal militias and in development projects. In this regard, Sheikh underlined the importance of working in the south "through real partners on the ground and not choosing the wrong people".
Just today the president of the National Oil Corporation, Sanallah, called for the creation of a "national" force charged with protecting the oil installations vital to the North African country's economy. In an interview with the British newspaper "The Guardian", Sanallah said that such a force should be placed under the direct command of Sarraj's government, recognized by the United Nations. Furthermore, for the NOC president, the force protecting oil plants in Libya should have an annual budget of at least 10 million dollars (8,7 million euros). Above all, to be truly effective, the force desired by Sanallah should also involve the LNA of General Haftar, who controls Cyrenaica and is Sarraj's rival. Only in this way, argues Sanallah, would this force be able to counter the militias that have repeatedly seized the oil installations essential for the economy of Libya in order to extort money from the NOC.
In an interview with the Guardian, Sanallah then urged a "new generation of young Libyan politicians" to come forward and propose new ideas for the pacification of the country. The NOC president therefore asked foreign powers to renounce their "hasty and unsustainable" proposals for the solution of the crisis in Libya. Finally, Sanallah accused France and Italy of arguing over Libya's future only for reasons all within European politics, rather than to seek the good of the North African country. Sanallah, however, expressed his concern for the operation of General Haftar's forces in Fezzan, stating that the reopening of the Sharara field "has now become more complicated".
Speaking at Chatham House in London, Sanallah said he was concerned about what could happen to the region and to the oil facilities due to the events in southern Libya: “My concern is that a sequence of events has been initiated with unpredictable consequences for Libya. ". Sanallah reiterated that the armed group that controls the al Sharara plant must leave the area, otherwise Noc will not be able to consider the possibility of resuming production. The best solution for the security of the field in question, according to Sanallah, is to deploy a NOC-managed Oil Guards force (Pfg), although the company would adopt this option with some reluctance. "The NOC suggested that, as an immediate measure, a mixed force could provide a solution within a security framework negotiated by the government's national agreement in Tripoli and with the support of the United Nations," Sanallah added. The oil field has been closed due to force majeure since last December. "Libya is now producing just under a million barrels a day," Sanallah said.