Libya’s enduring calamity
A new unity government seems destined to deliver neither unity nor government
Libya now has a third government – and it is about to enter the fray. The UN hopes it will restore stability to the country, but it may worsen the chaos. Either way, oil production – now at a five-year low of less than 300,000 barrels a day – is unlikely to recover soon. Islamic State (IS), thriving on the political disorder, has closed in on Libya’s last remaining onshore oil producers. Tired of waiting for the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR) to endorse a unity government, the UN, US and EU in mid-March officially recognised a new government of national accord (GNA). Libyan opponents immediately dismissed it as a “foreign imposition”. The UN’s GNA gambit is risky. A 17 December
Also in this section
14 May 2025
The invisible hand of the market has seen increasing transparency but much more needs to be done to build a better understanding
13 May 2025
A fall in Venezuelan output drives overall production lower, as Saudi Arabia starts to slowly bring more crude to the market
12 May 2025
With the gas industry’s staunchest advocates and opponents taking brutal blows, the sector looks like treading a path of insipid indifference
