The Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah reported on Tuesday that several Arab and international newspapers have cited a United Nations report implicitly accusing Saddam Haftar, son of Khalifa Haftar, commander of the armed forces in eastern Libya, of “smuggling” oil through a private company involved in crude oil sales.
According to the Turkish newspaper, a Libyan company linked to Saddam Haftar has exported at least $600 million worth of oil since May, based on shipping records and UN experts.
The report mentioned that Arkino Oil, a relatively unknown company founded in 2023, may be facilitating the diversion of some oil revenues away from the Libyan Central Bank.
Meanwhile, the weekly newspaper Al-Arab stated on February 18 that Arkino is indirectly controlled by Saddam Haftar, who serves as the Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces in the so-called Libyan National Army, according to the UN Panel of Experts.
Earlier, Reuters conducted an investigation into the company, using shipping documents and data from the London Stock Exchange Group and Kpler. The findings suggested that some oil revenues were being redirected away from the Libyan Central Bank. Simultaneously, the investigative organization The Sentry raised significant concerns about potential corruption.
The Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper noted that the UN document emphasized Saddam Haftar’s appointment to his military position last May, allowing him to strengthen his control over Libya’s regional relations and economic interests, according to experts.
The Arab Weekly reported that journalists could not identify the owners of Arkino, but the UN Panel of Experts stated in a report submitted to the Security Council on December 13 that the company is indirectly controlled by Saddam Haftar.
Arkino’s headquarters is in Benghazi, an area under Haftar’s control, according to the company’s website.
Despite ongoing instability in Libya, oil exports remain under the control of the eastern government. The National Oil Corporation, which has long operated independently and maintained political neutrality, still accounts for the majority of Libya’s oil exports. It shipped approximately 264 million barrels of oil, valued at around $21 billion, during the same period in which Arkino conducted its shipments, according to Kpler data.
