Libya’s Zawiya oil port and refinery has commenced operations after it was recently closed by protesters. The shutdown prevented oil workers from gaining entrance into the terminal and oil tankers from discharging.

The country, which has faced many political insurgencies, has the largest oil reserve in Africa but continued protests has seen a reduction in its oil output.

The protests, spearheaded by protest groups in various oil ports in the nation, are a demonstration of people’s grievances against Libya’s General National Council (GNC) over the alienated state of the country’s parliament, the state of unemployment in the country and lack of developmental projects, according to a Reuters report.

It has resulted in Libya’s unstable oil export numbers owing to several months of blockades at the country’s eastern ports and the recent blockade in March at Zawiya’s connecting oilfield, El Sharara.

Although negotiations between the council and the protesters has seen the re-opening of two eastern ports (Hariga and Zueitina), larger ports such as Es Sider and Ras Lanuf are still blocked.

The re-opening of Zawiya’s refinery, which is one of the two most important refineries in Libya, will help the country increase oil sales, though the council still battles with the presence of protesters in the area.

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