The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has voiced its apprehension on Thursday regarding the kidnappings, detentions, and forced disappearances of individuals, including a former minister and public figures.
The mission cautioned against the emergence of a climate characterized by fear and heightened tension.
The UN is “deeply concerned by the continuing abductions, arbitrary arrests and disappearances of citizens and public figures by various security bodies in Libya“, according to a statement released on Thursday.
Former Minister of Finance, Faraj Abderrahmane Boumtari, in 2018 in the national unity government, “was arrested on Wednesday on arrival at Mitiga airport (Tripoli) and taken to an unknown location”, Manul said.
Unconfirmed reports from local media suggest that Faraj Abderrahmane Boumtari, a former minister, was apprehended by agents of the Internal Security Agency (OSI). Meanwhile, members of Boumtari’s tribe, the Zouaya, have issued threats to block oil terminals in the eastern region of the country unless he is released.
Additionally, unverified reports circulating on social media indicate that protesters have already blocked two oil fields in the south, namely al-Charara and al-Fil, which together contribute to a significant portion of Libya’s oil production. However, these reports have not been verified by AFP.
On Thursday, “five members of the High Council of State (HCE) were banned from traveling to the same airport”, Manul announced, citing “information”.
Mitiga airport in Libya is jointly operated by both the authorities and security organizations, granting them the authority to restrict the movement of travelers entering or exiting the airport.
In response to the recent abductions, detentions, and enforced disappearances of individuals, including a former minister, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (Manul) has urged the Libyan authorities and security entities to release all arbitrarily detained individuals and ensure independent investigations into these incidents.
Manul has expressed concern that these escalating tensions are creating an atmosphere of fear and exacerbating inter-community and inter-tribal divisions. This environment is deemed unfavorable for conducting transparent and inclusive elections or achieving national reconciliation.
Since the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011, Libya, which possesses Africa’s richest oil reserves, has been engulfed in chaos. Divisions between the eastern and western parts of the country have further contributed to the unstable situation.
The country is currently grappling with a power struggle between two competing governments: one based in Tripoli (recognized by the UN) under the leadership of Abdelhamid Dbeibah, and another in the east supported by the influential Marshal Khalifa Haftar.