KEY LIBYAN POLITICAL FIGURES HAVE REJECTED AN 8 BILLION DOLLARS GAS PRODUCTION DEAL OVERSEEN BY THE TRIPOLI-BASED GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY (GNU) AND THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT.

RIGHTS GROUPS AND OBSERVERS IN THE COUNTRY HAVE ALSO CRITICISED MEMORANDUMS OF UNDERSTANDING REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS, AIMING TO CRACK DOWN MEDITERRANEAN MIGRATION FLOWS.

THE ENERGY DEAL WAS SIGNED BETWEEN LIBYA'S NATIONAL OIL CORPORATION (NOC) AND ITALIAN ENERGY FIRM ENI, DURING A VISIT BY ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER GIORGIA MELONI AND AN ACCOMPANYING DELEGATION TO TRIPOLI OVER THE WEEKEND, WHILE THE MEMORANDUMS WERE SIGNED BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES' FOREIGN MINISTERS.

THE GNU'S OUTSPOKEN OIL AND GAS MINISTER, MOHAMMED AOUN, DESCRIBED THE DEAL AS ILLEGAL, SAYING IT LACKS EQUALITY BETWEEN THE LIBYAN AND ITALIAN SIDES.

HE SAID HIS MINISTRY WAS BYPASSED ON THE DEAL WHICH HE REITERATED WAS ILLEGAL AND PLEDGED TO RECTIFY.