The governor of the Central Bank of Libya, Sadiq el-Kebir, said he and other senior bank officials were forced to leave the country to “protect our lives” from possible attacks by armed militias, the Financial Times reported today.

“Militias threaten and terrorize bank staff members and sometimes kidnap their children and relatives to force them to go to work,” Kabir told the newspaper by phone.

He also said efforts by interim prime minister Abdulhamid al-Dbayba to replace him were illegal and contrary to UN-negotiated agreements on central bank control.

The crisis over control of KTL is causing another level of instability in Libya, a major oil producer that is divided into two rival camps in the eastern and western parts of the country.

The United Nations support mission in Libya called earlier this week to suspend unilateral decisions, lift the state of force majeure in oil-rich areas, stop the escalation and use of force, and protect central bank officials.