The internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) in Libya has ordered the army to regain control of the Mellitah gas complex after protesters forced their way in, threatening a widespread blackout.

According to africanews.com, Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah instructed the defence ministry and the general staff to ‘immediately take full control of the Mellitah gas complex and to reopen the gas pipelines and gas supply to the country’s power plants.’

The move comes after Monday night, when protesters angered by frequent and prolonged power cuts entered the site and shut it down. Electricity company GECOL said that ‘several groups of people entered the Mellitah complex to shut off the gas valves supplying power plants, which threatens to put several plants out of service and increases the likelihood of a general collapse of the power grid.’ GECOL described the situation as ‘extremely critical.’

An official at the complex, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said negotiations are underway to persuade the protesters to allow operations to resume. The official warned that their presence ‘poses a high risk’ to the operation of the gas complex and its control rooms.

Overnight, scores of young people dumped rubbish in front of the headquarters of oil and gas companies in Tripoli, chanting ‘The people want the fall of the regime,’ in protest against power cuts and the high cost of living.

The vast Mellitah complex supplies natural gas to several Libyan power plants for local electricity production. Libya, which holds the most abundant oil reserves in Africa, has been mired in conflict since the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Two governments currently vie for power: the UN-recognised GNU in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

In recent days, hundreds of residents of the Tripoli area have demonstrated against interruptions in the power supply, underscoring the deep frustration with the country’s chronic electricity shortages.