Libya’s central bank suspends operations after employee abducted

U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland (L) and Central Bank of Libya Gov. Seddik al-Kabir pose of a photograph earlier this month. On Sunday, al-Kabir’s bank announced it was suspending operations over the abduction of an employee. Photo courtesy of Central Bank of Libya/Facebook

Aug. 19 (UPI) — The Central Bank of Libya has suspended all operations and said they will not resume until its senior employee abducted on Sunday is returned.

Musab Msallem, director of the bank’s Information Technology Department, was kidnapped from his home at 9 a.m. Sunday by “an unidentified party,” the bank said.

The Tripoli-based central bank said in a statement that it denounces Msallem’s abduction and the threat of kidnapping other bank employees face.

In response, all of its operations, departments and systems will remain closed until Msallem is released and returned to work and threats other employees face cease.

The bank did not provide details, but the kidnapping came a week after gunmen sieged the Tripoli financial institution to force the resignation of its governor, Seddik al-Kabir, who has faced criticism over his management of the country’s oil resources and budget since 2012.

Following the attack, U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland denounced threats to the bank’s staff and operations.

“Like Libya’s other sovereign institutions, the CBL’s integrity must be protected,” he said in a statement on X.

“In this case, attempting to replace the leadership of the CBL by force can result in Libya losing access to international financial markets.