Libya presidential council freezes ministry bank accounts

By Jabour Dokan

SABHA, Libya

The UN-backed Libyan unity government’s presidential council on Sunday issued a resolution freezing the bank accounts of all government ministries, agencies and other state-run bodies.

"The bank accounts of all ministries, agencies and public bodies funded by the public treasury are to be frozen, with the exception of the bank accounts from which [public] salaries and benefits are drawn," the resolution read.

It added: "A commission, headed by presidential council deputy head Fathi al-Magbari, will unfreeze the accounts only after receiving a release request from the concerned party."

The resolution did not provide a reason for the move.

Along with Libya’s unity government, two other governments currently exist in war-torn Libya: one based in capital Tripoli and a second based in the eastern city of Tobruk.

Both are seen as would-be competitors of the UN-backed unity government, to which they have until now refused to formally relinquish their authority.

Last December, representatives of both the Tripoli- and Tobruk-based governments -- along with a number of independent actors -- agreed to draw up a new government of national unity.

Under the terms of the agreement, the new government -- to be headed by Faez al-Sarraj (head of the presidential council) and to be formed within one month of signing the deal -- is mandated with running the country’s affairs for a transitional period.

On Jan. 25, Libya’s Tobruk-based parliament refused to endorse a 32-minister cabinet lineup for the unity government proposed by al-Sarraj.

Al-Sarraj responded by submitting a revised cabinet proposal, which still awaits the approval of the Tobruk assembly due to ongoing differences between the body's members.

Last Wednesday, al-Sarraj, accompanied by several deputies, arrived in Tripoli from Tunisia after announcing plans to assume his duties -- a move welcomed by some local and international parties but rejected by Libyan political and military groups.

*Ali Abo-Rezeq contributed to this report.