The camps were closed in protest over the kidnapping of former finance minister Faraj Bumatari.
A day after three Libyan oil fields were shut down in protest against the kidnapping of a former finance minister, the oil ministry has said the shutdowns could lead to a declaration of force majeure.
A statement from the ministry late Friday called on all parties not to let their disputes affect energy production and exports.
Such shutdowns could severely affect the North African country’s vital oil sector, including marketing and demand, and undermine the ministry’s efforts to stabilize crude output, the ministry said.
Faraj Bumatari, a former finance minister, was kidnapped after arriving at Mitiga airport on Tuesday, with production at the Al-Fil, 108 and Sharara oil fields shut down two days later in protest, according to the leader from the Zawi Al-Senussi al-Ahlaiq tribe.
Al-Ahlaiq said the closure of al-Fil was carried out to pressure Tripoli authorities to release Bumatari.
“Our main demand is the release of the minister,” said the tribal leader, speaking by phone from the eastern city of Benghazi on Friday.
Bumatari is a candidate for central bank governorship, which “makes him vulnerable to danger and kidnapping,” the tribe said in a statement.
The Sharara field is one of the largest production areas in Libya, with a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day. It has been a frequent target of political conflicts.
Since 2011, Libya has been beset by civil conflict, divided by two rival governments, each backed by various international actors and armed militias in the country. The House of Representatives is based in the eastern city of Tobruk, while its rival chamber and Prime Minister Abdul Hamad Dbeibah are based in the capital Tripoli.
The House of Representatives on Thursday accused the country’s Internal Security Agency of kidnapping Bumatari, saying it held Dbeibah, an ally of the security agency chief, responsible for his security.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya also expressed concern over the seizure and shutdown of oil fields, and called for the shutdown to cease.
Libya’s oil fields have been the target of political protests over the years since civil strife gripped the country following the 2011 NATO-backed ouster of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The incident comes as rival governments seek to hold possible unification elections while the United Nations continues to call for an end to the country’s political stalemate.
