The North Africa Journal – Protestors seeking social and economic development for the Fezzan region, located in the southwestern Libya, forced the shutdown of the Sharara oil field, in a protest movement aimed at getting government attention to the plight of the local population.
The protest is costing Libya more than $20 million a day in lost revenue, with the country unable to produce some 300,000 barrels of oil per day.
The protest, organized by impoverished and neglected Berber tribes, broke out on January 1, 2024, forcing a week later the National Oil Company (NOC) to close the site as talks with protest leaders are underway. Issues of concern to the local population include availability of petroleum products in local markets, infrastructure, poverty alleviation, etc.
