Libya: the government denies wanting to lease a port to foreign forces

The Libyan government's official response to allegations of the sale of the port of al-Khoms. The Government of National Unity denies having granted any rights to the port or authorized any military use. Spokesman Mohamed Hamuda denied the rumors. Residents' protests accuse the government of wanting to cede part of the port to Turkey for military purposes.

Share:

Libya’s UN-recognized national unity government, based in Tripoli, denied on Thursday that it had ceded rights to an important civilian port or authorized its use as a military base by foreign forces.

Accusations of selling off the port of al-Khoms: Official reaction from the Libyan government

“What is being said about the state handing over or authorizing the operation of al-Khoms seaport as a foreign naval base is incorrect and unfounded,” said Mohamed Hamuda, spokesman for Abdelhamid Dbeibah’s government.

He made the statement at the port of al-Khoms, with Libyan Navy Chief of Staff Noureddine el-Bouni at his side. And the Director of the Ports and Maritime Transport Authority, Mohamed el-Siwiwi. The spokesman was reacting to protests by hundreds of residents of this coastal town, 120 km east of Tripoli. They accuse the government of wanting to cede part of this civilian port to Turkey, a country allied to the Dbeibah government, for military purposes. From Sunday to Thursday morning, they set fire to tires. They also blocked roads and access to this major commercial port. According to videos on social networks.

Calling for restraint, Mr. Hamuda warned against any “harm to the public interest”, saying that such acts “expose the perpetrators to criminal prosecution”.

Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah attaches “great importance” to this commercial port, with plans to develop it to increase trade “with other states”, he added.

The port of al-Khoms, one of Libya’s largest and most important, can handle a million tonnes of containers a year. Along with Misrata, further east, it is considered a strategic site. Heavy fighting overshadowed these demonstrations on Monday. And on Tuesday, two armed groups clashed in Tripoli (western Libya). The worst in a year, with 55 dead and 146 injured. Oil-rich Libya plunged into security chaos after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011. Two governments have been vying for power for the past year: Mr. Dbeibah’s government in the west and the one in the east backed by the powerful Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.
French greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a global slowdown in reductions forecast for the full year, according to Citepa, an independent organisation responsible for national monitoring.
The Republican budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate accelerates the phase-out of tax credits for renewable energies, favoring fossil fuels and raising economic concerns among solar and wind industry professionals.
Rapid growth in solar and wind capacities will lead to a significant rise in electricity curtailment in Brazil, as existing transmission infrastructure remains inadequate to handle this massive influx of energy, according to a recent study by consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.
In April 2025, fossil fuels represented 49.5% of South Korea's electricity mix, dropping below the symbolic threshold of 50% for the first time, primarily due to a historic decline in coal-generated electricity production.
The US Senate Finance Committee modifies the '45Z' tax credit to standardize the tax treatment of renewable fuels, thereby encouraging advanced biofuel production starting October 2025.
According to the 2025 report on global energy access, despite notable progress in renewable energy, insufficient targeted financing continues to hinder electricity and clean cooking access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
While advanced economies maintain global energy leadership, China and the United States have significantly progressed in the security and sustainability of their energy systems, according to the World Economic Forum's annual report.
On the sidelines of the US–Africa summit in Luanda, Algiers and Luanda consolidate their energy collaboration to better exploit their oil, gas, and mining potential, targeting a common strategy in regional and international markets.
The UK's Climate Change Committee is urging the government to quickly reduce electricity costs to facilitate the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicles, judged too slow to achieve the set climate targets.
The European Commission will extend until the end of 2030 an expanded state-aid framework, allowing capitals to fund low-carbon technologies and nuclear power to preserve competitiveness against China and the United States.
Japan's grid operator forecasts an energy shortfall of up to 89 GW by 2050 due to rising demand from semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence technologies.
Energy-intensive European industries will be eligible for temporary state aid to mitigate high electricity prices, according to a new regulatory framework proposed by the European Commission under the "Clean Industrial Deal."
Mauritius seeks international investors to swiftly build a floating power plant of around 100 MW, aiming to secure the national energy supply by January 2026 and address current production shortfalls.
Madrid announces immediate energy storage measures while Lisbon secures its electrical grid, responding to the historic outage that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula in late April.
Indonesia has unveiled its new national energy plan, projecting an increase of 69.5 GW in electricity capacity over ten years, largely funded by independent producers, to address rapidly rising domestic demand.
French Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher condemns the parliamentary moratorium on new renewable energy installations, warning of the potential loss of 150,000 industrial jobs and increased energy dependence on foreign countries.