The Libyan Central Bank has announced the suspension of all its operations following the kidnapping of one of its executives in Tripoli. In a statement released on Sunday, the bank condemned the abduction of its IT director, Musab Msallem.
The statement disclosed that Mr. Msallem was taken from his home by an “unidentified person” on Sunday morning. The bank also revealed that other employees have been threatened with kidnapping.
The Central Bank declared that it would not resume operations until Mr. Msallem is released. As the sole internationally recognized repository of Libya’s oil revenues, the Central Bank is a critical institution for a nation that has been torn apart for years by rival governments based in Tripoli and Benghazi.
This incident comes just a week after the bank was besieged by gunmen, according to AFP news agency. Local media reports, cited by AFP, indicate that the gunmen sought to force the resignation of the bank’s governor, Seddik al-Kabir. Mr. Kabir, who has held office since 2012, has faced criticism over his management of the country’s oil resources and state budget.
Since the ouster and assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has struggled with chronic insecurity. The country remains divided by power struggles, with two competing governments: one recognized by the United Nations and based in Tripoli, and another in the east, supported by warlord General Khalifa Haftar.
