Mohamed Aoun, the oil and gas minister in Libya’s Government of National Unity, has been temporarily suspended from duty pending a legal investigation, according to a statement from a state institution.
The Administrative Control Agency (ACA), as announced on its verified Facebook page by its head, Abdullah Qadirbuh, initiated the suspension against Mohamed Aoun in Tripoli. This action follows an investigation into “the facts of case No. 178, which revealed the presence of legal violations.”
Further details regarding the nature of these violations were not disclosed. As of the announcement, the oil ministry had not yet received an official copy of the decision, according to a source within the ministry.
The ACA referred to the minister by only the three initials of his full name in its brief statement. The agency, responsible for overseeing government performance, holds authority to challenge appointments to public positions and enhance public accountability.
This development occurs amidst ongoing worker protests in Libya, disrupting oil production and impacting global markets. Since the overthrow and death of leader Muammar Gadhafi in 2011, Libya has faced significant turmoil and remains divided between rival administrations in the east and west.
The nation’s energy sector has been central to these divisions. In 2021, Aoun attempted to suspend Mustafa Sanalla, the longstanding head of the state producer, National Oil Corporation, highlighting deep rifts within the industry.
Sanalla eventually resigned from his post in mid-2022 due to security challenges and political tensions, which contributed to a decline in Libya’s oil output to below 700,000 barrels per day. Production recovered to 1.2 million barrels per day later that year and currently hovers around that level, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.