PC-appointed board takes over CBL HQ amid condemnations

Aug 25, 2024 | Libyan actors

On 25 August, in the morning, the Presidential Council (PC) handover committee arrived at the HQ of the Central Bank of Libya (CBL) to find the employees had left, key operations had been shut down, and the doors were closed. However, they forced entry (though it is important to note there were no clashes) and later the same day, the new PC-appointed board of directors – notably not including Muhammed Shukri but led by PC-appointed Deputy Governor Abdul Fattah Ghafar – were in the building.

In response, later the same day CBL governor al-Sadiq al-Kabir submitted a report to the Attorney General’s Office over the storming of the CBL HQ, noting the decision to replace the CBL leadership was issued by an unauthorised party. The House of Representatives (HoR) also issued a statement condemning and denouncing ‘in the strongest terms’ the attempts to ‘forcefully storm’ the CBL HQ in Tripoli by parties that lack legitimacy, calling on the Attorney General to investigate the incident and hold those involved responsible. Likewise, the High State Council (HSC) under Khalid al-Mishri issued a statement reiterated its rejection of the PC’s ‘encroachment’ and urged local and international bodies to treat the PC as an ‘illegitimate and usurping’ power.