In firing Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) board of directors, Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah is trying to end oil blockades and encourage his eastern-based rival Khalifa Hifter to enter negotiations on a possible political settlement. But while Dbeibah’s gambit may result in a quick resumption of Libyan oil exports, it could also create long-term supply and corporate compliance risks by further enabling Hifter to politicize those exports. Dbeibah, who is the internationally-recognized leader of the country, removed the entire board of NOC, including its powerful chairman Mustafa Sanalla, in a July 7 decree that was not publicly confirmed until the oil ministry published the decree on July 12. Dbeibah appointed Farhat Bengdara as Sanalla’s replacement. On July 13, Sanalla made a statement from NOC’s headquarters criticizing the decision and Dbeibah for making the move against him while he was out of the country performing the hajj. Tensions boiled over...
