TRIPOLI: Libya’s Tripoli-based central bank said on Sunday it would shut down all operations and not resume work until a senior bank official kidnapped earlier in the day was released.
The central bank is the only internationally recognized depository for Libyan oil revenues, a vital economic income for a country torn for years between two rival governments in Tripoli and Benghazi.
The bank said an unknown party was behind the abduction on Sunday of Musaab Muslam, head of its information technology department.
“The bank rejects the mob-like methods that are practiced by some parties outside of the law,” it said in a statement.
It added that other bank officials had also been threatened and therefore it would suspend operations until “these practices are stopped and the concerned authorities intervene.”
Richard Norland, the US ambassador to Libya, said last week that attempts to replace the bank’s senior management by force could result in the North African country losing access to international financial markets.
Norland met with bank governor Sadiq Kabir to discuss concerns about armed groups gathering around the bank’s headquarters in Tripoli, the US embassy said.
“Disputes over distribution of Libya’s wealth must be settled through transparent, inclusive negotiations toward a unified, consensus-based budget,” Norland said.
Libya has enjoyed little peace since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that overthrew longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi, and it divided in 2014 between warring eastern and western factions.
On Aug. 9, at least nine people were killed and 16 wounded after clashes erupted between two armed factions in Tajoura, an eastern suburb of Tripoli.
Libya’s Tripoli-based Government of National Unity is headed by interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah, who was installed through a UN-backed process in 2021.
Eastern Libya, where the national parliament is based, is under the effective control of military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Despite a 2020 truce and efforts to formally reunify institutions, a political solution has proven elusive.
Libya’s central bank suspends operations after kidnapping of official
https://arab.news/4gyz3
Libya’s central bank suspends operations after kidnapping of official
- The bank said an unknown party was behind the abduction on Sunday of Musaab Muslam, head of its information technology department
- Other bank officials had also been threatened
Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction
- Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.
