Libya’s Central Bank resumed its operations after an abducted bank official was released.
The apex bank announced in a statement that it would resume operations, citing the release and safe return of Musab Msallem, its head of information technology.
An unidentified group abducted Msallem on Sunday morning and this prompted the Central Bank to halt all operations pending his release.
The kidnap occurred a week after armed men attacked the central bank’s headquarters in Tripoli.
Reports say the primary motive behind the attack was to force the resignation of the Central Bank, Seddik al-Kabir.
Kabir has been in office since 2012 and has been scrutinised, even by individuals associated with Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, for the way Libya’s oil resources and the state budget are being handled.
With a population of 6.8 million, Libya has faced ongoing challenges in recovering from the conflict that followed the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
The country remains split between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli, led by Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east, supported by the military leader Khalifa Haftar.
While there has been relative calm in recent years, sporadic clashes continue among Libya’s numerous armed groups.
The recent abduction of Msallem has heightened concerns about a potential escalation, as tensions between rival factions have been rising in recent weeks.
