Libya Pledges to Lift Oil Blockades, but Putin’s Foot Soldiers May Be Monkey Wrench

Hundreds of mercenaries with the Russian paramilitary body that is widely believed to be the de facto private army of President Putin, the Wagner Group, are operating in Libya.

AP/Yousef Murad
The recently replaced chairman of the Libyan National Oil Corporation, Mustafa Sanallah, at Tripoli, July 11, 2022. AP/Yousef Murad

The oilfield blockades that have dogged Libya, causing the OPEC member’s crude oil exports to fall, are soon to end — if the country’s oil point man is to be believed. The new chairman of Libya’s National Oil Corporation, Farhat Bengdara, was quoted in the Financial Times as saying he expects there to be “good news about this next week,” but the web of competing strategic interests in the North African country may prove tough to untangle in such a short time frame. 

Have an account? Log In

To continue reading, please select:

Limited Access

Enter your email to read for FREE

Get 1 FREE article

Continue with
or
Unlimited Access

Join the Sun for a PENNY A DAY

$0.01/day for 60 days

Cancel anytime

100% ad free experience

Unlimited article and commenting access

Full annual dues ($120) billed after 60 days

By continuing you agree to our
Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Advertisement
The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use