Libya Roundup: Assault, oil production, Libya-Nigeria row aftermath
Oil production
The National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya is planning to enhance its oil production by 2024, having held discussions with key representatives from major oil companies on October 22. Under the leadership of NOC's Khalifa Abdul Sadiq, the meetings concentrated on improving drilling and maintenance efforts, addressing technical and logistical obstacles, and devising long-term projects. Recent statistics revealed that Libya's crude oil production reached 24 barrels, alongside 1.33 million barrels of gas equivalent within the preceding month. Daily consumption metrics indicated usage of 991 million cubic feet of gas and 25.856 barrels of crude oil, Nova News reports.
Urban planning
Libyan Prime Minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba has taken initiatives to rectify the significant absence of urban planning within the country. During a visit to the Urban Planning Authority, Aldabaiba engaged in a workshop where a comprehensive tripartite plan was introduced to alleviate dire urban conditions caused by haphazard construction, according to Libya Herald. Core aspects of the plan include the creation of dedicated urban planning departments within engineering faculties and the provision of technical training for Authority personnel, targeting a completion time of 18 months. Aldabaiba reiterated the urgency of integrating urban planning into Libya's broader development strategies.
CAF investigates Lybia-Nigeria row
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has mandated the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) and Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to submit relevant documentation concerning a cancelled match in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier by today, October 20, 2024. The match, originally set for October 15 in Benghazi, was boycotted by Nigeria due to the diversion of their flight and an 18-hour detention without basic provisions. LFF Secretary General Nasser Al-Suwaie announced the appointment of legal representation to compile evidence amid concerns regarding potential collusion within CAF, African Football reports. Calls from former Nigerian player Harrison Jalla for intervention by the African Union have arisen, amidst allegations of mutual mistreatment between the teams. Presently, Nigeria is at the forefront of Group D with seven points, followed by Benin, Rwanda, and Libya.
Assault and arrest
A 28-year-old Libyan national has been detained in Germany on suspicion of orchestrating an assault on the Israeli embassy located in Berlin. Prosecutors have charged the suspect with establishing communication with an ISIL member regarding the planned attack, with intentions of using firearms. The arrest followed intelligence provided by a foreign agency and resulted in a raid in Bernau. Noteworthy is that the suspect, who entered Germany in November 2022, saw his asylum application rejected in September 2023. Aljazeera reports that German authorities are currently on heightened alert due to the escalating threats posed by Islamist groups and anti-Israel violence, exacerbated by current conflicts related to Gaza.
Lybia-Egypt relations
The Real Estate Development Chamber of Egypt, under the leadership of Osama Saad El-Din, recently conducted a visit to Libya, culminating in the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Libyan chambers of commerce. The intent of these agreements is to bolster cooperation and exchange investment know-how, thereby facilitating the entry of Egyptian companies into Libya's reconstruction initiatives, Daily News Egypt reports. Egyptian construction firms bring critical expertise in urban development, which is particularly pertinent to Libya’s urgent need for the establishment of new urban areas. The visiting delegation highlighted the prospects for exporting building materials from Egypt to Libya. Additionally, the discussions addressed the necessity for more straightforward processes regarding the movement of Egyptian labourers and considerations for foreign ownership rights in urban projects within Libya. Both parties have expressed a robust commitment to ongoing cooperation, with further meetings anticipated to delve into the reconstruction efforts in more detail. Daily News
