Libya’s central bank has declared a halt to all operations following the abduction of a senior staff member in the capital, Tripoli.
In a statement on Sunday, the bank condemned the kidnapping of its IT director, Musab Msallem.
They reported that Mr. Msallem was abducted from his home by an “unknown group” on Sunday morning and that other employees have been threatened with kidnapping as well.
The central bank has stated that operations will remain suspended until Mr. Msallem is released.
The central bank, though independent, is state-owned and serves as the sole internationally recognized repository for Libyan oil revenues—a crucial economic resource for a country long divided between rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi.
According to the AFP news agency, this follows a siege of the central bank by armed men that occurred a week earlier.
Local media, as reported by AFP, indicated that the armed men took action to coerce the resignation of the bank’s governor, Seddik al-Kabir.
Mr. Kabir, who has been in office since 2012, has faced criticism regarding his management of oil resources and the state budget.
Since the ousting and death of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the country has experienced persistent insecurity.
The country has been torn by power struggles and now has two competing governments: one recognized by the UN, based in Tripoli, and another in the east supported by warlord Gen. Khalifa Haftar.
