Libya’s central bank has suspended all operations following the kidnapping of its IT director, Musab Msallem, in Tripoli.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the bank condemned the abduction, noting that Msallem was taken from his home by an “unidentified party” and that other staff members have received threats of kidnapping.
The bank has announced it will not resume operations until Msallem is released.
The central bank, which is an independent entity but state-owned, is the sole internationally recognized repository for Libyan oil revenues, a critical financial resource for a nation divided between rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi.
This incident comes just a week after the central bank experienced a siege by armed individuals, as reported by AFP.
These attackers were reportedly aiming to force the resignation of the bank’s governor, Seddik al-Kabir, who has faced criticism for his handling of oil resources and the state budget since taking office in 2012.
Libya has been plagued by instability and power struggles since the overthrow and death of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
The country remains divided between two competing governments: one recognized by the UN based in Tripoli, and another in the east supported by warlord Gen Khalifa Haftar.
Source-BBC
