Libya Halts Swiss Oil Deliveries Over Gadhafi Arrest

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

TRIPOLI, Libya — Libya has halted all of its oil deliveries to Switzerland and barred Swiss ships from its ports to protest the arrest of Moammar Gadhafi’s son in Geneva, a state-run shipping company said yesterday.

Libya’s General National Maritime Transportation Company stopped oil shipments to Switzerland on Wednesday, the head of the company, Ali Bilhajj Ahmed, said. The company says it is the only Libyan-based firm supplying oil to Switzerland.

Libya supplies more than 50% of Switzerland’s crude imports, which totaled some 2.5 million tons in 2007, according to the latest available Swiss government figures. Nonetheless, the Swiss Petroleum Association said the country could cope with any cutoff and arrange to buy the oil elsewhere.

The oil freeze was Libya’s latest action in response to the arrest last week of Hannibal Gadhafi and his wife. Police arrested them on July 15 at a luxury hotel in Geneva for allegedly beating two of their servants, according to their lawyer. They were released on bail two days later and left the country.

Libya has recalled some of its diplomats from Switzerland, suspended the issuing of visas for Swiss citizens, reduced the number of flights to Switzerland, and has detained two Swiss nationals on various charges, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.

Switzerland, in turn, warned its citizens not to travel to Libya.

Mr. Ahmed, of the Libyan shipping firm, would not provide a figure on the amount of oil involved, but he said the cutoff was appropriate, calling it the “least we should do.”

The Swiss Foreign Ministry and the Swiss branch of Libya’s state-owned oil company Tamoil declined to comment yesterday on the oil cutoff.

The Swiss Petroleum Association said the country could cope with a halt of oil deliveries from Libya.

The association’s managing director, Rolf Hartl, said he has so far not received confirmation of a Libyan cutoff. He said any halt in supplies would not result in long lines at Swiss fuel stations and that sealing off the Tamoil refinery in Collombey in southern Switzerland would take two weeks.

In addition, the amount of oil coming from Libya could quickly be purchased elsewhere, Mr. Hartl said. Switzerland also has oil reserves that could be used, he added.

Also yesterday, the Libyan government organized a demonstration by employees of the Libyan shipping company in front of the Swiss Embassy in Tripoli. About 500 people chanted slogans and distributed flyers calling for an official apology to Mr. Gadhafi, his son, and all the Libyan people.

The company also said Swiss ships will be prevented from entering Libyan ports and from unloading their goods.

“Unless the coming hours witness a closure of this file, which is a fabricated and an illegitimate, and unless the Swiss authorities issue an official apology to Gadhafi, his son and the Libyan people, escalating measures will be taken,” the company said in a written statement.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use