TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) Scores of Libyan protesters on Wednesday shut down an oil refinery in the country's east to demand jobs they claim were promised for 1,000 people, a state-owned oil company official said.
The closure is the latest disruption to hit the country's troubled economy in recent months, after militias seized a series of oil and gas terminals, severely cutting production and sapping much-needed state revenue.
The protesters blocked entrances to the offices of The Arabian Gulf Oil company, a branch of the state-owned National Oil Corporation, in the eastern port city of Tobruk, the official said. They also blocked a road intersection leading to the refinery and forced the administration to halt production of fuel and natural gas destined for local consumption, he added.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Since the summer, militias have closed Tobruk's main al-Hariga terminal and four other oil export terminals in the country's east, demanding semi-autonomous status for the region that produces the majority of Libya's oil.