A report says US President Donald Trump is pursuing an initiative to establish US business control over Libya’s oil resources through agreements among the country’s eastern and western power centers. On June 18, Libya’s three main political groups reached a power-sharing deal that outlines presidential and parliamentary elections before February 17, 2027. Massad Boulos, Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs and Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, is described as playing a central role in the process.
The agreement is based on a unified state budget of $30 billion adopted in April. The report says a plan to double Libya’s daily oil output to three million barrels by 2030 could benefit US energy companies including ConocoPhillips and Chevron, which have already signed oil-related agreements. It adds that unifying and insulating the National Oil Corporation from factional interference could raise output above 1.5 million barrels a day and increase state revenue by 20 to 30 percent.
Civil society, tribal groups, militias, women and young people were not represented at the Rome meeting that preceded the deal, prompting doubts about its success. Critics say the arrangement is centered on powerful individuals and families rather than institutions. Russia views the initiative as bypassing the Berlin process, while Algeria and Tunisia stress Libyan ownership and leadership of any settlement.