14 bodies found in Benghazi all shot in the head execution style

A doctor in the Benghazi Medical Centre reported that the hospital had received the bodies of 14 people who had been killed execution-style. Martin Kobler, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) called the killings a war crime.

The unidentified bodies were found Thursday and brought to the hospital by the Red Crescent. An anonymous doctor said that the bodies all bore shots to the head. Kobler in a tweet said he was "utterly shocked and dismayed by the summary execution of a number of people in Benghazi." He called for an investigation of the murders and for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

As France24 reports:Benghazi has seen bloody battles for more than two years between forces loyal to the internationally-recognised parliament and armed groups including the jihadist Islamic State group. Forces loyal to General Khalifa Haftar have regained several districts of Benghazi in recent months but have yet to retake the whole city.No details at all on Haftar's Operation Dignity which started in May of 2014 with attacks against two Islamist bases in Benghazi but was followed up by his allies burning the parliament in Tripoli.

While the House of Representatives (HoR) and the government of Abdullah al_Thinni were at one time internationally-recognized, at present, the Al-Thinni government and HoR are not internationally recognized. However by the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA), the HoR is required to vote confidence in the GNA and amend the constitutional declaration. The UN and most nations recognize the UN-backed GNA as the sole legitimate Libyan government. Perhaps, since French special forces are obviously dealing with Haftar and the HoR, France24 considers the HoR "internationally recognized". The HoR mandate ran out last October and was illegally extended. Although the HoR was elected it was with a turnout of about 18 percent or less. The election was ruled unconstitutional by the Libyan Constitutional Court back in November 2014, but no one but the Salvation Government, the Tripoli-based rival to the HoR, paid much attention. Since the GNA moved to Tripoli the Salvation Government associated with the former General National Congress(GNC) has ceased to exist, at least as having any power.

The 14 bodies were found in an area controlled by Haftar's forces, raising concerns that his forces have been responsible. While Kobler demands an investigation it is unlikely to happen. Back in early June, 12 prisoners who were ordered released from a jail in Tripoli were found murdered. Amnesty International and some others claim that the twelve were killed before they left the jail. There was to be an immediate investigation. The issue has just dropped off the media radar. The prisoners were former Gadaffi troops. No one has yet been charged.

Haftar's forces have been previously condemned by the UN for attacking civilian targets in the city of Derna. There were threats of prosecutions for war crimes. Nothing has happened. The city is now run by the Derna Shura Council or Jihadists whom Haftar considers as terrorists, even though they were instrumental in driving the Islamic State from Derna. Haftar's air force attacked them even when IS had left, consequently hitting a number of civilian targets.

The jihadist forces in Benghazi have also been accused of war crimes in attacking medical facilities and using civilians as shields. Both pro-Haftar and anti-Haftar forces appear to have committed war crimes but so far neither international authorities nor authorities from the GNA or rival HoR government have brought anyone to face justice for any war crimes.

Tribes who control oil fields feeding oil crescent ports demand they be part of any export agreement

Tribes who control eastern oilfields said any agreement between Ibrahim Jodhran, head of the Petroleum Facilities Guard (PFG), and UN envoy Martin Kobler to reopen oil exporting ports does not cover their areas of oil production and pumping.

Yesterday, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Martin Kobler flew to the eastern oil port of Ras Lanauf to meet with Jodhran. Kobler appeared happy to meet with him since he supports the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) and would like to see the oil ports he controls exporting oil once again. Jodhran cost the Libyan economy billions by keeping the ports closed for extended periods over disputes with the government for better terms.

In 2013, Jodhran set up a Cyrenaica government with its own cabinet. He also established a separate oil company and tried to export crude oil through the company. The tanker Morning Glory was intercepted by the U.S. and its cargo unloaded in the western part of Libya. Few details were given of the talks but Kobler welcomed Jodhran's backing of the Presidency Council (PC) and the GNA. Jodhran is a strong opponent of the commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), Khalifa Haftar. The LNA is the armed forces of the House of Representatives (HoR) government of PM Abdullah Al-Thinni.

The tribes who control the eastern oilfields have formed a Supreme Council for the Wahat Oil, Gas and Water Basin areas. The UN, the international community, and the GNA are anxious to quickly ramp up Libya's oil production and exports. Kobler met Jodhran to further arrangements to open the Ras Lanauf and Es Sidre ports that the PFG control. Increased exports would generate badly needed revenue for the GNA. There was an agreement reached between the two rival National Oil Companies (NOC) to merge, but the HoR government has rejected the deal unless certain conditions are met.

However, opening the ports will be of little use unless there is a steady supply of oil coming in from the Wahat Basin fields. Kobler had mentioned that the recent Tunis talks with Libyan Dialogue members had focused on people's concerns and those included oil production. Kobler tweeted: "Glad to hear support of #PC/#GNA from Ibrahim Jadhran and tribal leaders. #RasLanuf #Libya " The tribal leaders that Kobler mentions obviously did not include those from the Supreme Council of those tribes who control the oil fiellds supplying the ports.

Jonathan Winer, the U.S. special envoy for Libya, tweeted that Libya needed to pump oil to generate revenue that could pay salaries. UK ambassador Peter Millet told a UK House of Lords committee at the end of June that the plan was for Libya to increase production from less than 200,000 barrels a day now to around 700,000 barrels a day. This is still considerably less than production just before Gadaffi was overthrown, which was about 1.5 million barrels a day. However, as Millet notedthe main obstacles to increased oil production were not technical but political and asked significantly " are people in control of pipelines ready to permit it ...and at what price.?

A statement from the Supreme Council makes clear the relevance of Milltet's remark. It said that "any political agreement between the UN Representative Martin Kobler with any armed groups regarding the commencement of oil exports is a non-agreement and does not represent the Basin area and its inhabitants and does not represent an agreement to restart of production from the oilfields situated within the area of the (seven) Wahat Basin." The statement went on to say that the Council would not be committed to any agreement reached without its own knowledge and consent.

The Council also demanded that any agreement must have the permission of the Al-Thinni government of the HoR and the eastern National Oil Company associated with the HoR. There is no mention of the agreement between the two rival oil companies to merge or of the new merged oil company. Just to make the need for the Council to be involved absolutely clear, the statement went on to say that those controlling the export terminals do not in any way represent the production, manufacturing and pumping areas. The statement concludes: ‘‘If Mr Kobler wishes to talk about the restart of Libyan oil production, he has to communicate with the Supreme Council of the Basin’.’

‘