Libya’s NOC continues to do its job according to the law, it says

CAIRO, July 17 (Reuters) – Libya’s National Oil Corp (NOC) is continuing to do its job according to the law, it said on its Facebook page on Sunday, days after the Government of National Unity (GNU) sought to replace the head of NOC and its board of directors.

NOC said it will not comply with any “illegal” sacking measures from an “outgoing” government.

GNU’s decision on Tuesday to replace Mustafa Sanalla has aggravated Libya’s political crisis and threatens to pull NOC into the factional infighting that it has mostly avoided during years of conflict.

Sanalla says that Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah does not have the authority to sack him because the GNU’s mandate had expired. Dbeibah rejects that, saying his term will end only with an election.

In its Facebook post on Sunday, NOC said its headquarters is “occupied and surrounded by armed vehicles”.

Libya’s Oil Ministry has said that NOC’s social media pages were posting unofficial messages after GNU installed a new company chief.

(Reporting by Yasmin HusseinEditing by David Goodman)