Libyan militia released the Turkish-owned cargo ship MV Mabrooka on Thursday, following detention on 5 December off Derna. The release was allowed after reportedly paying a fine for entering Libyan waters without permission.
The Libyan National Army forces have detained the MV Mabrooka offshore of Derna, on 5th December while on route to Misrata.
Following the conditions that exist in Libya’s capital, Tripoli, North P&I Club advises operators to be closely in touch with their local agent in order to obtain the most up-to-date and reliable information.
Through a new Ship Security Advisory, RMI reminds the importance of awareness amid the highly volatile situation in Libya. RMI-flagged vessels should not navigate near the coastal waters of Benghazi, Derna, and Sirte.
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently commended the release of the 14 Ukrainian seafarers of Ruta tanker, which were arrested off Libya back in 2017.
Following the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Accord decided to close all air and sea ports, as it has declared the situation as a state of emergency.
According to Reuters, on 18 February all the vessels operating at the Tripoli Port were forced to evacuate the area as its is said that the Eastern Libyan forces shelled a terminal. In fact, all the offloading operations were cancelled, following the explosion of an LPG tanker discharging in the port.
Following the theories that Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG) ordered to cut the oil exports in the central and eastern regions, several major oil companies had no choice but to stop their operations.
IMO maritime security training is taking place for Libyan port facility security officers, managers and designated authority officials, from 18 to 22 August. The workshop aims to help the Libyan Government improve security risk assessments and control maritime transport through its territory.
According to ITF, the so called ‘the deadliest shipwreck in the Mediterranean so far this year’ took place in late July, where up to 150 migrants and refugees are feared drowned in attempts of crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Europe after their boat capsized off Libya.
