Central Bank of Libya suspends operations over kidnapping of IT Director

Shafaq News/ On Sunday, the Central Bank of Libya announced the suspension of all its operations following the kidnapping of Musab Msallem, the Director of the Information Technology Department, by an unknown party.

"The bank rejects the mob-like methods that jeopardize employee safety and disrupt operations,” the bank said in a statement, affirming “it will not resume operations until Msallem is released.”

Last week, Richard Norland, the US ambassador to Libya, warned that forcibly replacing the bank's senior management could lead to Libya losing access to international financial markets. Norland met with bank governor Sadiq Kabir to address concerns about armed groups gathering around the bank's headquarters in Tripoli, according to the US embassy.

"Disputes over distribution of Libya's wealth must be settled through transparent, inclusive negotiations toward a unified, consensus-based budget,” Norland said.

Since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has struggled with instability, dividing into warring eastern and western factions in 2014. On August 9, clashes between two armed factions in Tajoura, an eastern suburb of Tripoli, resulted in at least nine deaths and 16 injuries.

The Tripoli-based Government of National Unity, led by interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah, was established through a UN-backed process in 2021. Eastern Libya, where the national parliament is located, is under the control of military commander Khalifa Haftar. Despite a 2020 truce and efforts to reunify institutions, a political resolution remains elusive.