UN approves sanctions against Libyan oil smuggling
Iran Press TV
Wed Mar 19, 2014 5:49PM GMT
The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution authorizing sanctions against illegal crude exports from Libya's militant-controlled oil facilities.
The resolution, which was unanimously passed on Wednesday, allows the Security Council's member states to inspect the ships suspected of carrying illegal crude oil from Libya in the international waters.
According to the resolution, the Council's member states are required to prohibit suspected ships from entering their ports. They should also prevent their nationals from engaging in the financial transactions which involve smuggled Libyan crude.
On Monday, the US navy seized the North Korean-flagged vessel, dubbed the Morning Glory, which was carrying illegal Libyan oil in the high seas off the southeast coast of Cyprus.
On March 8, militia groups controlling Libya's eastern port of al-Sidra managed to load oil into the Morning Glory, which had docked there without permission from the central government.
However, the North-Korean-registered tanker managed to slip through the Libyan naval brigade during inclement weather.
A few days later, the Libyan General National Congress (GNC) sacked former prime minister, Ali Zeidan, after he failed to stop illegal oil sale by militants. On March 12, the GNC gave the militia groups two weeks to lift the blockade of crude terminals or face fresh military action.
Tripoli has made efforts to end a wave of protests at oil ports and fields across the country that has slashed oil output to 230,000 barrels per day (bpd), down from 1.4 million bpd in July.
Libya heavily relies on its key oil and gas sector, which accounts for the vast majority of hard currency receipts and government revenues, and the disruptions to the sector have badly influenced its economy.
MKA/AB
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