SNE Special Projects have operated within Libya since the revolution of 2011 and are a fully licensed security provider working with our Libyan partner company. We have kept our permanent British & Libyan Country Management Team in Tripoli throughout the last few difficult months, supporting our clients staff and critical infrastructure and offering up to date, regular and accurate reporting throughout this period. We are now in a strong position to advise and support our clients as they look to plan their re-entry back into Libya as and when the current situation stabilises enough and allows for remobilization. We have a vast amount of experience of supporting clients from the media, telecoms, power generation, Oil & Gas, Construction & NGO sectors. For more information on our services within Libya please email us at specialprojects@snegroup.co.uk or visit our website www.snespecialprojects.co.uk
The latest round of talks in Morocco finished on Thursday with both the HoR and GNC representatives returning to Libya to inform their respective governments of the progress which has been made and what the next round of talks aim to achieve. There groups are then expected to return to Morocco for a concluding round of talks next week when it is hoped that a Unity Government can be agreed on and announced.
It is believed that Bernadino Leon will be making a tour of key stakeholders in Libya and the region to drum up support for an agreement and to persuade external stakeholders to bring pressure to bear on the two sides to reach an agreement. There are still differences between both groups, however Leon believes he has agreement to 80% of the proposals on the table at this time. The coming week is about finding agreement to the remaining 20% and for the delegations to win over the support of those whom they represent. The UN Security Council has again, by unanimous vote, decided to follow up on the Resolutions passed in the summer of 2014 and has unanimously passed two further Resolutions on Libya. These new resolutions draw attention to the fact that travel bans against certain persons remain in place, call for a ceasefire, and draw attention to the growing threat of Islamic extremism.
A Libyan government spokesman says five crew members from TV network were found dead today in Al Beyda, eight months after they were abducted. The six men from the Barqa TV network were abducted in August while travelling to their hometown of Ajdabiya after the opening of the parliament in Tobruk.
Libya Dawn attacks Al-Watiya airbase for the second day in a row. Heavy clashes renewed around Al-Watiya airbase in western Libya between Libya Dawn forces and the so-called Tribes Army, one day after Libya Dawn gained new positions in its advance towards the airbase. Clashes also reported in Al-Hira and Abu Shaiba regions in northern Gharyan between Libya Dawn and Zintani armed groups who try to take over Al-Hira checkpoint, some 20 km to the north of Gharyan, following their failure yesterday. Today's Libya Dawn attack on Al-Watiya, which is under control of the Tribes Army, is backed with airstrikes by the air force of the General Staff.
Libya Dawn forces thwarted on Sunday an attempt by pro-dignity operation Zintani armed groups to take Al-Hira checkpoint in Gharyan. The Zintanis tried to advance towards the checkpoint, some 20 km to the north of Gharyan. There was heavy exchange of fire which forced the Zintans to retreat to Al-Azizya. The checkpoint is still under full control of Libya Dawn. Earlier that day, the Zintanis mobilized troops in Al-Gwalish to the south of Gharyan to launch their attack on Gharyan from there, but they were bombed by the air force of the General Staff.
Tunisia has decided to allow flights to resume to Libya, according to the pro-HoR, Beida-based offices of the Libyan news agency LANA. It says that the Tunisian civil aviation authorities decided to permit flights between Tunisia and Mitiga, Misrata, Labrak and Tobruk airports to operate again following a visit to the airports by Tunisian inspectors last week. However, in Tunis, it is reported that, following the visit and then a meeting this week between Tunisian Transport Minister Mahmoud Ben Romdhane and the inspectors, flights will resume once international standards are met. The implication was that standards were not yet fully acceptable.
The spokesperson of the National Oil Corporation (NOC), Mohammed Al-Harari, has indicated earlier today that Al-Feel oil field has been shut due to a strike carried out by the security guards complaining about the delay of salary payment, pointing out that the NOC paid the salaries of the security forces only. The NOC managed this year to reopen the field, which, economists say, was producing 100 thousand barrels daily after one of its pipelines had been blocked for months. Libya’s crude oil production estimations were at less than 600 thousand barrels a day before Al-Feel field was shut.
Due to the current ongoing unstable and unpredictable security situation within Libya, SNE are recommending that at this moment in time clients only carry out business essential travel trips to Libya, these trips should only be undertaken within Tripoli city limits and no movement should be attempted in the hours of darkness or near certain flash point areas such as Tripoli International Airport and surroundings districts, GNC buildings and hotels known to be frequented by internationals which could prove to be flash points for further incidents.
After the attack on the Corinthia hotel in Tripoli on the 27 January, hotels in Tripoli are now being looked at again from a security perspective and for the time being we recommend only using safe accommodation which has been authorised for use.
Locally employed client staff within Libya should continually practice extra vigilance and caution regarding their personal security, in addition anything classed as suspicious should be reported to the SNE Security Tripoli Operations Manager at the first opportunity.
We are advising No movement to the western area of Libya in and around Kikla and Rujban and other surrounding areas where fighting is still ongoing between the Zintan and Libya Dawn militia groups. Sporadic fighting between rival tribal factions is also currently ongoing in the areas of Ubari, Sabha & Murzuq and we are advising our clients Not to travel to these southern areas at present.
We are still presently advising NO travel should be made to Benghazi until the current situation shows signs of stability and Operation Dignity forces have full control of the city and transportation methods of entering and leaving Benghazi are open again.
SNE are supporting our clients at present in Tripoli with business essential travel visits and are offering a full turnkey security risk management, safe transportation with secure accommodation and life support package based from our Tripoli villa.
The British FCO and US State Department are still advising against travel to Libya and are monitoring the security and political situation before considering remobilisation plans back into Libya at some point in the future.
SNE remains fully operational on the ground within Tripoli, where our mixed British and Libyan Country Management Team are able to support any of our existing and additional clients requests and provide up to date accurate information and analysis on the ever changing situation to those clients who are currently out of country monitoring the situation with an aim to re-deploying when the security and political situation allows.
Before considering travel to Libya, an itinerary specific pre-travel risk assessment including mitigation measures are recommended. In-country personnel should be confident in their evacuation procedures and crisis management plans and in light of the current situation these should be checked and updated where necessary with the appropriate level of support in country to activate the plans when required.
To discuss further how SNE can support your projects in Libya or Egypt please contact us by email at specialprojects@snegroup.co.uk or call our Dubai office on +971 44561542 / +971 503786803
