Sidra or Sidr ( ar, السدرة) is a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as ...

about 23 km west of Ra's Lanuf in

Libya Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Su ...

. It is Libya's largest

oil depot An oil terminal (also called a tank farm, tankfarm, oil installation or oil depot) is an industrial facility for the storage of oil, petroleum and petrochemical products, and from which these products are transported to end users or other stor ...

, shipping about , and during the Cold War gave its name to the 'Gulf of Sidra', an alternative name for the

Gulf of Sirte The Gulf of Sidra ( ar, خليج السدرة, Khalij as-Sidra, also known as the Gulf of Sirte ( ar, خليج سرت, Khalij Surt, is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya, named after the oil port of Sidra or ...

. Sidra Airport is directly next to the port.

History

This oil port increased in importance as Libya's economy developed in the last quarter of the 20th century.

Libyan Civil War

During the

Libyan Civil War Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...

, forces under the leadership of the

National Transitional Council The National Transitional Council of Libya ( ar, المجلس الوطني الإنتقالي '), sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, was the ''de facto'' government of Libya for a period during and after the Libyan Civil War ...

captured the port of Sidra at the beginning of March 2011. Pro- Gaddafi forces tried to retake the port from the anti-Gaddafi forces some days later.

Second Libyan Civil War

During the

Second Libyan Civil War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Second Libyan Civil War , partof = the Arab Winter, Libyan Crisis, Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict, War on terror, and Qatar–Saudi Arabia diplomatic conflict , image ...

, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's Libyan branch launched an attempt to seize the port in January 2016. At least one oil storage tank was set ablaze by a long-range rocket. In June 2018, militiamen led by Ibrahim Jadhran seized the port from the

Libyan National Army The Libyan National Army (LNA; ar, الجيش الوطني الليبي, ''al-jaysh al-waṭaniyy al-Lībii'') is a component of Libyan Armed Forces, Libya's military forces which were nominally a unified national force under the command of Fiel ...

. The LNA recaptured the port on 21 June. In January 2020, the National Oil Corporation declared force majuere over oil loadings at the port after an blockade was imposed by tribes affiliated with the

Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LNA) ...

. In July 2020, the

National Oil Corporation The National Oil Corporation (NOC; ar, المؤسسة الوطنية للنفط) is the national oil company of Libya. It dominates Libya's oil industry, along with a number of smaller subsidiaries, which combined account for around 70% the co ...

reported that

Wagner Group The Wagner Group (russian: Группа Вагнера, Gruppa Vagnera), also known as PMC Wagner ( «Вагнер», ChVK «Vagner»; ), is a Russian paramilitary organization. It is variously described as a private military company (PMC), ...

Janjaweed The Janjaweed ( ar, جنجويد, Janjawīd, lit=mounted gunman; also transliterated ''Janjawid'') are a Sudanese Arab militia group that operate in Sudan, particularly Darfur, and eastern Chad. Using the United Nations definition, the Janjawe ...

and Syrian mercenaries were present at the port.

External links

Location of vessels in the port of Sidra

References

Port cities and towns in Libya Populated places in Sirte District Gulf of Sidra Populated coastal places in Libya Tripolitania Ports and harbors of Libya {{Libya-geo-stub