The human cost of defending Libya’s oil

Abdula Altako was killed in March guarding the oil field he worked for, one of the first, but by no means the last of Libya’s oil workers to die defending the country’s lifeblood.

Abandoned by their foreign owners during the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, the fields have been watched over by local workers aiming to deter looters and prevent facilities from falling into disrepair.

Altako, who worked for private German oil and gas company Wintershall, was starting his morning guard shift when he was ambushed and shot dead in his car.

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