Libya’s Central Bank Suspends Operations After Kidnapping of Head of Information Technology
The Central Bank of Libya has suspended its operations after the kidnapping of its head of information technology, Musab Msallem, by an unidentified group. The incident comes just a week after gunmen laid siege to the bank’s headquarters in Tripoli, demanding the resignation of the bank’s governor, Seddik al-Kabir.
According to the Central Bank, Msallem was kidnapped from his house in Tripoli on Sunday morning. The bank has suspended its operations until Msallem is released and has also threatened other executives with abduction. The bank has denounced the actions of the “unlawful parties” responsible for the kidnapping, saying they threaten the safety of its employees and the continuity of the banking sector’s work.
The kidnapping is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised tensions in Libya, where rival factions have been vying for power. The country is divided between a UN-recognized government in Tripoli and a rival administration in eastern Libya, backed by military commander Khalifa Hifter.
The US ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland, has condemned the attempts to remove Kabir as “unacceptable” and warned that his replacement by force could result in Libya losing access to international financial markets. Kabir has been in office since 2012 and has faced criticism over the management of Libya’s oil resources and state budget.
The situation in Libya remains volatile, with the country’s economy and infrastructure struggling to recover from years of conflict and instability. The kidnapping of the Central Bank’s head of information technology is a worrying development that highlights the ongoing security challenges facing the country.
