Libya’s central bank has stopped all its operations after one of its top employees, Musab Msallem, was kidnapped in Tripoli.
According to the BBC, the bank condemned the abduction, saying that Msallem, who is the director of information technology, was taken from his home by an unknown group.
The bank also mentioned that other employees have been threatened with kidnapping. The central bank declared that it will not resume operations until Msallem is safely released.
The bank plays a crucial role in managing Libya’s oil revenues, which are essential for the country’s economy, especially as Libya remains divided between two rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi.
This kidnapping incident follows a siege of the central bank by armed men just a week earlier, as reported by AFP and highlighted by the BBC.
The siege was reportedly an attempt to force the resignation of the bank’s governor, Seddik al-Kabir, who has been criticized for his handling of oil resources and the national budget.
Since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been plagued by instability, with ongoing power struggles between different factions.
The country now has two competing governments: one recognized by the UN in Tripoli and another in the east, backed by military leader General Khalifa Haftar.
As the BBC reports, this situation continues to fuel insecurity in Libya.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8er628kx63o