Its central bank Libya announced today the suspension of all its proceedings after the “kidnapping” of one of its officials in the capital Tripoli.

THE Mosab Msalemhead of the central bank’s IT department, “was kidnapped by an unknown group in front of his home,” the bank said in a statement on its Facebook page.

The central bank said it had “suspended all its procedures” adding that they would not be resumed until Mr Msalem was released.

It denounced the “threats of kidnapping against other employees”, speaking of “sides outside the law” that “threaten the safety of its employees and the orderly operation of the banking sector”.

The kidnapping of the central bank official comes a week after dozens of people, some of them armed, gathered in front of the bank’s headquarters in Tripoli to demand the governor’s ouster. Sediq el Kebir.

The latter, who is in this position from 2022, is criticized for his management of the budget and oil revenues in the hydrocarbon-rich country.

In a meeting he had on Tuesday with the US ambassador and special envoy to Libya, Richard Norlandthe commander had spoken of “increasing threats to the security” of the institution and its employees.

For his part, Mr. Norland had described an ouster of the commander as “unacceptable”, saying that Libya could lose its access to the international financial markets, he told X.

Libya has been plunged into chaos since the fall and death of dictator Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. It is ruled by two rival governments: the government of national unity of Abdelhamid Dbeiba based in western Libya and recognized by the UN, and another in the east Libya, supported by Marshal Khalifa Haftar.