TRIPOLI :Libya's new National Oil Corporation (NOC) chief Farhat Bengdara on Tuesday rejected challenges to his appointment as most of the company's major subsidiaries publicly acknowledged his leadership and work at some shuttered fields and ports resumed. "The GNU's decision to appoint me as NOC chairman does not represent any change in the legal position of the NOC or in its relationship with the government," he added. Libya's eastern-based parliament, which does not recognise the GNU, has said that Mustafa Sanalla remains the NOC's legitimate chairman. Analysts say Bengdara is seen as close to eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar, long an ally of the eastern-based parliament. They say Dbeibah's appointment of Bengdara may represent an effort to court Haftar's support for the GNU.

Source: Libya Today July 19, 2022 11:33 UTC