On Tuesday, the United States voiced its support for UN efforts to resolve the dispute between Libya’s rival administrations over the management of the central bank without disrupting crucial oil revenues.
The US embassy stated that the initiative by the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) “provides a path forward to resolve the crisis”.
This comes after the eastern administration declared on Monday that it was halting operations at all oil fields and export terminals under its control.
This decision intensified the already deepening divide between Libya’s competing governments following allegations from the eastern administration that the Tripoli-based, UN-backed government was attempting to take over the central bank.
In a statement late on Monday, UNSMIL announced it would “convene an emergency meeting for all parties involved” in the crisis. The mission also urged for “the immediate lifting of force majeure on oil fields and a halt to using the country’s main revenue source for political leverage”.
Libya is still grappling with the aftermath of years of conflict since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The country remains split between the government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and the rival eastern administration supported by military leader Khalifa Haftar.
Most of Libya’s oil fields are in regions controlled by Haftar, yet oil revenues and the state budget are managed by the central bank based in Tripoli.