Libya's Central Bank Governor Flees Country

Sadiq al-Kabir, the governor of Libya's central bank, has fled the country along with other senior officials due to threats from armed militias, who have reportedly abducted the children of bank staff to force them to work. Al-Kabir alleges that interim Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah's attempts to replace him are illegal and violate UN agreements regarding central bank leadership. This power struggle comes amidst a backdrop of ongoing instability in Libya, which is divided between rival eastern and western factions supported by external powers such as Turkey and Russia. The UN Support Mission in Libya has urged for the cessation of unilateral actions and called for the protection of bank employees. The situation has escalated tensions further, coinciding with the shutdown of oilfields by the eastern government in response to the political crisis. Libya's central bank, controlling significant oil revenues, remains at the center of this conflict.