The race for Libya's vast oil wealth is gathering momentum. States who worked together during the NATO airstrikes are now working against each other in the battle to secure lucrative energy contracts.
Meanwhile, fears are rising that a new regime in Libya could easily slide into corruption.
Half a billion dollars from Italy, and now a whopping $1.5 billion from the UN in unfrozen Libyan assets – on top of $300 million dollars from Turkey.
As discussions abound about the future of a post-Gaddafi Libya, it is the money that has been talking the loudest.
“Governments have a strong interest in opening up new channels for opening up business again and everybody is racing for this,” says Lucca Galassi, a journalist from PeaceReporter.net. “The French have Total and have other companies like Alcatel, Ariva and even train companies that are operating there.”
Italy’s foreign minister has denied that there is a race on with France to be the first on the ground to restart business in Libya, but the Italians have made clear their eagerness to maintain the extremely close trade ties they enjoyed under the Gaddafi regime.
But as the money begins to flow to help fund the National Transitional Council as it takes power, a big question mark remains over who exactly owns the vast fund
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