A statement issued by the "Council of Elders and Notables of the South-East' announced on Saturday the closure of oil fields and water sources of the Man-Made River in Tazerbo and Al-Sarir until the release of former Finance Minister Faraj Boumatari.

The statement said: "We, the sheikhs and notables of the southeast with all its social compositions, call on the kidnappers of Dr. Faraj during his visit to the city of Tripoli to immediately release him." The then statement called on the Governor of the Central Bank and the Dabaiba government to immediately release Boumatri, holding the Dabaiba responsible for his safety.

Last Thursday, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said it was "deeply disturbed" at the continued kidnappings, arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances of citizens and public figures by various security agencies in Libya, noting the arrest of former Finance Minister Faraj Boumatri and the travel ban on members of the High Council of State, warning that such actions would "produce a climate of fear."

The mission said in a statement that it received reports on July 12 that Boumatri had been arrested at Mitiga airport and taken to an unknown location. Today, reports indicate that five members of the High Council of State have been prevented from travelling at the same airport.