Fate of abducted envoy in Libya still a mystery

AMMAN — Libyan authorities on Wednesday said they still have no news about the fate of Fawaz Aitan, the Jordanian ambassador who was abducted in Tripoli on Tuesday morning.

“We have nothing new to report about him, but we will not spare any opportunity to find his whereabouts,” Said Lassoued, the Libyan foreign ministry spokesperson, told The Jordan Times over the phone on Wednesday.

Aitan was kidnapped in Tripoli on Tuesday by an anonymous armed group.

Reportedly the kidnappers demanded in exchange the release of a Libyan who is serving a life prison sentence in Jordan, a Libyan security source told Reuters.

Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers on Wednesday discussed the kidnapping of the ambassador at a meeting that was chaired by Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour. The members were briefed on the latest security and diplomatic relations conducted by the relevant parties to secure the release of the ambassador and to ensure his safety. 

Stressing the government’s support for the Libyan people and its authorities’ efforts to restore stability, the Cabinet asserted that Jordan will spare no efforts to ensure the diplomat is freed. 

Also on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh received a phone call from his Libyan counterpart Mohammed Abdul Aziz, during which they discussed the latest developments regarding ambassador’s abduction, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Judeh also made contacts with Arab League chief Nabil El Araby and several Libyan politicians. The Arab League issued earlier a statement denouncing the abduction.

Meanwhile, the Security Council on Tuesday condemned the kidnapping of the envoy.

In a statement, the council said its members condemned in the strongest terms the attack against the Jordanian diplomatic convoy in Tripoli, which resulted in the abduction of the Jordanian ambassador, whose driver was wounded in the attack.

“The members of the Security Council expressed their deep concern over this attack and called for the immediate release of the Jordanian ambassador,” the statement said, adding that the members of the council reaffirmed the unjustifiable nature of such attacks, regardless of their motives. They underlined the need to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice.

Members of the Security Council also called on the Libyan authorities “to protect diplomatic and consular property and personnel, to respect fully their international obligations in this regard and to work towards the safe release of the ambassador”.