The international community initially condemned the Libyan National Army (LNA)’s seizure of the ports last week. On 13 September, Martin Kobler, the UN Envoy for Libya, was unsuccessful in convincing the UN Security Council to issue a new resolution with punitive measures against Haftar in response to the takeover. However, this reaction provoked an angry backlash throughout the country against what was seen by many Libyans as interference in Libyan affairs.
The tone of international actors changed on 16 and 17 September, welcoming the speedy resumption of exports, the handover of oil ports to the NOC, and encouraging fresh dialogue. The UN Envoy Martin Kobler met with House of Representatives (HoR) President Ageelah Saleh, Presidential Council PM Fayez Serraj, and other key Libyan political actors in Cairo in an attempt to find a compromise and agreement on the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) with a new governing framework.