Libya shuts down oil distribution valve in protest against captivity of Central Security Chief

Locals in the western Libyan town of Zintan have shut down essential oil distribution valves in a new demonstration calling for the immediate return of the abducted chief of the Central Security Department, Brigadier-General Mustafa Al-Whayshi, as demanded by the residents who arrested him this week, Anadolu News Agency reports.

According to the report, the General’s abduction has resulted in massive oil distribution network interruptions, further destabilising Libya’s already woefully stretched energy supply chain.

The kidnapping of Brigadier-General Al-Whayshi has become a cause for uproar throughout Zintan, with officials and residents concerned for the security of the area, the report said.

As a reaction, the community has used Libya’s oil industry, the engine of the national economy, as a weapon of demonstration, calling for an end to it.

“We’re not going to close the valves again until General Al-Whayshi is taken back to his family,” said one Zintan resident attending the protest, who did not want to be identified.

The Ministry of Oil and Gas has called on city officials to accelerate efforts towards a resolution, warning that prolonged closures could have negative economic consequences, report added.

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