Cairo, Jul 16 (AP) Security authorities in the Libyan capital of Tripoli released a former minister less than a week after his detention which had prompted his tribesmen to shut down crucial oil fields, a tribal elder said. Former Finance Minister Faraj Bumatari, who hails from the al-Zawi tribe in southeastern Libya, walked free on Saturday afternoon from detention in Tripoli, said al-Senussi al-Zawi, one of the tribe's elders. “I spoke with him by phone, and he is awaiting a flight to the east” of Libya, al-Zawi said. His detention was prompted by his bid to replace Sadiq al-Kabir as governor of the Central Bank of Libya, according to al-Zawi. To force his release, Bumatari's tribe shut down crucial oil fields, which produce hundreds of thousands of barrels per day.

Source: Libya Today July 16, 2023 10:43 UTC