Since the Libyan Central Bank, based in Tripoli, is the only internationally recognized bank that benefits from oil exports, the parallel government in the east of the country depends on cooperation to export oil from the rich basins of the Gulf of Sirtre.

Due to the current political tensions between Tripoli and Benghazi, in the east of the country, there is disagreement about the direction in which this bank should be directed.

The UN mission in Libya, UNSMIL, has expressed concern “over reports of the mobilisation of forces in Tripoli, including threats to use force, to resolve the crisis surrounding the Libyan Central Bank”.