Libya central bank governor flees to avoid armed groups

Libya's central bank governor Sadiq al-Kabir said he and other senior bank staff had been forced to leave the country to, "protect our lives" from potential attacks by armed groups.

"Militias are threatening and terrifying bank staff and are sometimes abducting their children and relatives to force them to go to work," Kabir told the Financial Times newspaper via telephone. 

He also said attempts by interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah to replace him were illegal, and contravened U.N. negotiated accords on control of the central bank. 

The crisis over the control of the Central Bank of Libya creates yet another level of instability in the country, a major oil producer that is split between eastern and western factions that have drawn backing from Turkey and Russia.

The U.N. Support Mission in Libya early this week called for the suspension of unilateral decisions, the lifting of force majeure on oil fields, the halting of escalations and use of force, and the protection of central bank employees.