UPDATE 1-Libya's NOC says jet fuel illegally shipped to east

A shipment of jet fuel was imported into eastern Libya recently in breach of a United Nations arms embargo and other international agreements, Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) said on Monday in a statement.

"The shipment came from the UAE to Benghazi on a ship called Gulf Petroleum 4 and has been in Benghazi port for a number of days," NOC said, adding it had informed the United Nations. Eastern-based Libyan forces have been trying for nearly a year to capture the capital Tripoli, where the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) is located.

The eastern-based Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar is militarily backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt, while the GNA is supported by Turkey. The NOC says the shipment violates the arms embargo on Libya and an international agreement signed by the UAE recognising the company as the exclusive importer of fuel into Libya.

Although the NOC is based in Tripoli, it manages oil fields across the country and revenue from energy exports pays for salaries for state employees in both west and east Libya. Since January, eastern-based forces have blockaded the country's main oil ports, preventing exports.

The statement quoted NOC's chairman Mustafa Sanalla as saying the company had "supplied sufficient fuel to all parts of Libya, including the eastern regions, to meet all civilian needs, including civil aviation."

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