Libya’s Oil Ministry issued a statement on Thursday refuting rumors that Farhat Bengdara, the head of the National Oil Company (NOC), is resigning. These rumors, which spread across local social media platforms, suggested Bengdara might step down due to health issues.
According to reports from Agenzia Nova, no official confirmation has been made regarding claims that Bengdara has submitted his resignation to Abdulhamid Dbeibah, the interim prime minister of Libya’s Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripoli.
Bengdara, who took over as NOC chairman in July 2022, was appointed after an agreement between Libya’s two rival factions—the western government led by Dbeibah, and the eastern forces led by General Khalifa Haftar. His appointment was seen as a compromise, replacing the previous NOC head, Mustafa Sanalla.
Conflicting information has emerged from unnamed sources. Some claim Bengdara may have resigned for health reasons, while others suggest he is struggling to balance the power dynamics between Haftar and Dbeibah. This mirrors the tension seen during the Central Bank dispute. Speculation has also surfaced that one of Haftar’s sons might replace Bengdara. However, no official statements have confirmed any resignation.
The rumors come at a critical time for Libya, as the country has just ramped up oil production to 1.3 million barrels per day, according to the NOC. This increase follows the resolution of a political dispute over the appointment of a new governor to the Central Bank. The conflict, largely centered on control of oil revenues, had caused most Libyan oil fields to halt production for over a month in late August, as rival factions vied for control within the Central Bank.
Libya’s Oil Ministry continues to dismiss the rumors, leaving Bengdara’s position officially unchanged.
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