Libya’s largest oilfield resumes operations after 2 months of shutdown

• 

Libya’s largest oilfield, El Sharara, has resumed its operations after two months of shutdown, a Libyan source close to the matter confirmed to Sputnik on Sunday.

"Today, oil production was resumed at the Sharara oil field," the source announced.

Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) is yet to release an official statement regarding the resumption of work at the oil facility.

In April, the NOC declared a force majeure at El Sharara and El Fil oil fields, as well as in the oil port of Zueitina and other major oil terminals.

According to Libyan media, the shutdown was caused by protesters that had entered the NOC facilities and demanded that the head of the interim Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, transfer power to the recently elected head of the new Libyan cabinet, Fathi Bashagha.

Gunfire rocks Tripoli

On May 17, gunfire rocked oil-rich Libya's capital for several hours as Bashaga attempted to oust Dbeibah, threatening another escalation in the war-torn country.

Bashagha landed in Tripoli in the early hours of the day and tried to take it by force, sparking pre-dawn clashes between armed groups supporting him and those backing Dbeibah.

Hours after landing, Bashagha left Tripoli citing the "security and safety of citizens," as the United Nations, European Union, and the United States appealed for calm.

Dbeibah, based in Tripoli, was appointed under a troubled UN-led peace process early last year to lead a transition to elections set for December 2021, but the vote was indefinitely postponed.

Elections are the solution

In February, parliament - based in Tobruk in Libya's east - appointed Bashagha, a one-time Interior Minister, to replace Dbeibah, arguing that the latter's mandate had ended. 

But Dbeibah refused to hand over power except to an elected administration, a vow he repeated several times.

"Elections are the solution - there can be no future without them," Dbeibah said in a televised speech. "This government will continue doing its job until elections are held," he stressed.