The head of Libya’s unrecognized government, Osama Hammad, announced on Tuesday the suspension of the country’s oil exports in response to attacks and kidnappings of employees of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) amid a larger power struggle between rival factions.
The country is divided by power struggles and currently has two rival governments – a UN-recognized one based in Tripoli and another in the east of the country backed by warlord General Khalifa Haftar. The announced closure of the oil fields comes amid an ongoing dispute between the government in the east and the UN-recognized government based in Tripoli over the leadership of the CBL.
The Central Bank of Libya had previously suspended its operations after several employees were kidnapped by unknown assailants. Among those kidnapped were Musab Msallem, the director of the Information Technology Department, and Rasim al-Najjar, director of the Governor’s Office. The kidnappings have raised concerns about the security of the banking sector. The Central Bank warned that such extrajudicial actions pose a serious threat to Libya’s economic stability.
Hammad condemned attempts to replace Seddik Al-Kaber, the governor of the CBL, and attributed the kidnapping to the Presidential Council, which serves as Libya’s head of state under the UN-brokered 2015 Libyan Political Agreement. Al-Kaber has been accused of mismanaging Libya’s oil resources and state funds.
In addition, the central bank announced on its official Facebook page on Monday that its board of directors, appointed by the Council of Presidents, had fully assumed management responsibilities.
The United Nations support mission to the Libyan central bank crisis called for an end to any escalation and a lifting of the oil export ban.
