| Shukri Mohammed Ghanem Al-Mesmary شكري محمد غانم المسماري |
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|---|---|
| Minister of Oil | |
| In office 1 March 2006 – 16 May 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Fathi Ben Shatwan |
| Prime Minister of Libya | |
| In office 1 June 2003 – 1 March 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Imbarek Shamekh |
| Succeeded by | Baghdadi Mahmudi |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 October 1942 |
Shukri Mohammed Ghanem (Arabic: شكري محمد غانم) (born 9 October 1942) is a Libyan politician who was General Secretary of the General People's Committee of Libya (prime minister) from June 2003 until March 2006 when, in the first major government re-shuffle in over a decade, he was replaced by his deputy, Baghdadi Mahmudi. Ghanem subsequently served as the Minister of Oil until 2011.
Early in the 2011 Libyan civil war he reportedly "fled",[1] but after the city of Ra's Lanuf was recaptured by pro-government forces, AP reported on 13 March that he asked Italian oil giant Eni SpA for help with putting out a fire at the an oil facility.[2] On 16 May, Al-Arabya and the NTC reported that Shukri Ghanem defected to Tunisia. The next day Tunisian security officials confirmed he had defected into Tunisia.[3]
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With advanced degrees in International Economics and Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, Ghanem was previously in charge of the OPEC secretariat, and was the Director of its Research Division. He served as Deputy Director and Director of Foreign Trade at the Ministry of Economy in Libya; was Director of Marketing of Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC); was Director of Economic Affairs and Under Secretary and Chief Advisor at the Ministry of Petroleum in Libya. In March 2006, Ghanem was appointed Chairman of Libya's NOC. He tendered his resignation from NOC in August 2009 amidst probable disagreements within the Libyan government over the development of the oil sector.
Libya had been diplomatically isolated and subject to international sanctions since the November 1991 indictment of two Libyans for the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 on 21 December 1988 (the Lockerbie bombing). Following Ghanem's appointment as prime minister, Libya successfully sought re-entry into the international community and the lifting of sanctions. Ghanem was seen as the main spokesman and architect of this rapprochement, which included paying $2.16 billion compensation in August 2003 to the families of the 270 people who died in the bombing, and renouncing weapons of mass destruction.
On 8 April 2011, against the background of the 2011 Libyan civil war, the US Treasary department announced sanctions against him.[4]
In February 2004, Ghanem was interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 Today program. [1] He stirred controversy in the interview by repudiating Libya's responsibility both for the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and the 1984 murder of British WPC Yvonne Fletcher (who was shot and killed in April 1984 outside the Libyan Embassy in London). This incident led to the severing of UK/Libya diplomatic relations.
When asked whether the payment of compensation meant that Libya did not accept any guilt or responsibility, Ghanem replied:
Under pressure from the United States and Britain, Ghanem's comments were quickly retracted by Gaddafi.
It is unclear whether Shukri Ghanem's dismissal as prime minister in 2006 was a consequence of those controversial remarks he made two years earlier.
On 16 May it was reported that Ghanem has defected from the Gaddafi government and fled,[5] which was confirmed the next day by Tunisian security officials.[6]
| Preceded by Mubarak Abdallah al-Shamikh |
General Secretary of the General People's Committee of Libya 14 June 2003 - 5 March 2006 |
Succeeded by Baghdadi Mahmudi |
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