In Focus | Libya
Washington, Doha and Ankara wrestle for control of Central Bank of Libya
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By Sarah Vernhes
The unification of the two Central Banks of Libya (CBL) is a priority for Washington, which has been doing all in its power since September to oust the powerful governor of the Tripoli CBL, Al Seddik Omar Al Kabir. But al Kabir, who has been clinging to his post since the official end of his mandate in 2014, has backers in Doha and Ankara.
With support from Qatar and Turkey, Central Bank of Libya (CBL) governor Al Seddik Omar Al Kabir, 68, has succeeded in making himself a man to be reckoned with. The bank is the country's financial nerve centre. It has three strategic functions: it receives and redistributes the oil revenues of the National Oil Corporation. (NOC); it validates the letters of credit needed for importing; and it manages the country's foreign currency reserves. But Al Kabir's pervasive presence has finally upset the
