The kidnapping happened a week after gunmen besieged the Central Bank headquarters.
The leadership of the Central Bank of Libya on Sunday, August 18, announced the suspension of all transactions after the kidnapping of the head of the information technology department, Musab Msallem, reports The Guardian.
They said Msallem was “abducted by an unknown group from his home this morning.”
The bank stressed that it “will not resume operations” until Msallem is released, adding that other executives have also been “threatened with kidnapping.” The bank’s administration called for “an end to this practice” and blamed “rogue parties” for “threatening the safety of its employees and the continuity of the banking sector.”
The bank did not provide any other details about the abduction.
The publication stated that the kidnapping took place a week after gunmen laid siege to the Central Bank headquarters in Tripoli. Local media reported that this was an attempt to force the head of the bank, Seddiq al-Kabir, to resign.
US diplomat and special envoy for Libya Richard Norland called efforts to remove Kabir “unacceptable,” warning that replacing him “by force could result in the loss of access to Libya in international financial markets.”
In a post on social media X, Norland said the standoff in Tripoli “highlights the ongoing dangers associated with the political impasse in Libya.”
Libya, home to 6.8 million people, is struggling to recover from years of conflict following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi. It remains divided between the UN-recognised government based in Tripoli led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and a rival administration in the east backed by military leader Khalifa Haftar.
Clashes erupt periodically between Libya’s many armed groups. Sunday’s kidnapping comes after a period of growing fears of a wider escalation.
It will be remembered that on August 9, at least nine people were killed as a result of a clash between two armed groups in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.
And this spring in Libya, unknown people fired grenade launchers at the Prime Minister’s residence.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.