Libya’s oil production and exports have almost ground to a halt as the increasingly unpredictable Gen Khalifa Haftar, the military leader in the country’s east, ignores international calls to seek a negotiated political settlement to the civil war.

World leaders had convened in Berlin on Sunday to endorse plans to entrench, monitor and enforce a ceasefire intended as a precursor to the disarming of militias and political talks in Geneva to build a reunified government, and a fair distribution of oil revenues between the east and west of the country.

But Haftar, who has been seeking to oust by force the UN-recognised government of national accord (GNA), based in Tripoli, since April, showed no sign of relenting, instead ramping up the economic pressure on the GNA by shutting down oilfields.







In a sign the situation was deteriorating, the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC) reported that forces directly under the instruction of Haftar had blocked oil exports from Brega, Ras Lanuf, Hariga, Zueitina, and Sidra ports.

“The blockade instructions were given by Maj Gen Nagi al-Moghrabi, the commander of Petroleum Facilities Group appointed by the Libyan National Army, and Col Ali al-Jilani from the LNA’s Greater Sirte Operations Room,” the NOC said.



It said pipelines had been blocked linking the giant Sharara oilfield to the Zawiya oil terminal and El Feel oilfield to the Mellitah terminal. Libyan oil production was expected to collapse to 72,000 barrels a day, the lowest level since 2011.

Unofficial diplomatic reports from Russia said Haftar had refused to sign the Berlin agreement, and for parts of the summit had turned off his phone, before leaving early.

The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, an opponent of Haftar, said it was significant that the general had not signed the agreement. He said Turkey would do whatever was necessary if Haftar and his so-called Libyan National Army (LNA) did not abide by the agreement. He has already sent former fighters from Syria to help protect the GNA government, which is led by the prime minister, Fayez al-Sarraj.