Libya appoints Fauzi Abokhzam central bank governor

Libya's parliament appointed Fauzi Abokhzam as central bank governor on Monday, after former governor Naji Issa's resignation triggered political controversy.

The legislature said 78 of 90 lawmakers present voted in favour of naming Abokhzam to the post.

Issa had asked to resign in August, but parliament initially rejected the request. In October, it announced that it had accepted the resignation, without explaining the reversal. On the same day, the central bank said unidentified individuals raided its headquarters in Tripoli.

Libya has been divided since the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi between a UN-recognised government in Tripoli and a rival administration in the east backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar. The parliament sits in the eastern city of Benghazi under Haftar's control.

Issa was appointed central bank chief in 2024 during a political standoff that halted oil production and deepened a financial crisis.