The newly assigned Chairman of the Libyan National Oil Corporation (NOC), Farhat Bengdara, has announced in a press conference the official assumption of his duties, replacing Mustafa Sanalla, who led NOC for about eight years.
“I thank the Government of National Unity (GNU) for assigning a new board of directors for the Corporation, which will provide an integrated environment to lead this sector towards success,” Bengdara said.
“Our priority will be to focus on activating governance systems and complying with the oil law,” he pointed.
“It is necessary for Libya to restore its oil and gas export capacity, and this will be as soon as possible,” the new Chair added.
“We assure our foreign partners that all the pledges and agreements signed will be preserved, and we will seek to develop them under the supervision of the government,” he confirmed.It is noteworthy that GNU issued a decree to dismiss NOC Board of Directors, headed by Mustafa Sanalla, and formed a new board headed by Farhat Bengdara.
Sanalla rejected the dismissal decree and said NOC is “protected by international law” and is not affiliated with the outgoing GNU.
The Energy Committee of the Libyan Parliament stressed the legitimacy of the NOC Board of Directors, headed by Mustafa Sanalla, confirming that the decrees of GNU Prime Minister, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, are not legitimate as being issued by a non-qualified party.
U.S. Ambassador and Special Envoy to Libya, Richard Norland, stated that the replacement of the NOC board “may be contested in court but must not become the subject of armed confrontation,” according to US Embassy in Libya.