Libya's power-cut protests reach the Mellitah oil complex, halting output at the El Feel field

A wave of protests and civil disobedience over prolonged electricity cuts escalated in Tripoli and surrounding areas in late July 2026. Mostly young protesters, worn down by outages lasting around 10 hours a day, shut major roads, burned tyres and blockaded public buildings, with the demonstrations unfolding in temperatures above 48 degrees Celsius.

The crisis took a sharper turn on Tuesday, 28 July 2026 (6 Mordad 1405), when a group of protesters stormed the Mellitah oil and gas complex, forcing Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) to halt operations at the El Feel oilfield and partially suspend the Wafa field. The disruption sharply constrained the gas needed for power generation and knocked several generating units offline. The Government of National Unity later secured the complex and resumed gas pumping.

Protesters demanded accountability for alleged corruption and the immediate dissolution of Libya's fractured political institutions. Libya has been split since 2014 between the internationally recognised Government of National Unity in Tripoli and a rival administration loyal to Khalifa Haftar in the east, a division that has persisted despite a 2020 ceasefire. Libya is an OPEC producer, and any interruption to output at its fields can affect global oil supply.