By Moutaz Ali.
Tripoli, 5 April 2017:
The mayor of Sirte, Mukhtar Al-Madani, kidnapped almost two months ago, has been released.
Confirming reports, Najwa Al-Rabihi from Radio Sirte said that at present nobody had any further information about the circumstances of his release and who had abducted him.
Madani disappeared on 11 February along with two bodyguards while on his way to Tripoli. Prior to his disappearance, he had been involved in a protracted dispute with three members of the municipal council who wanted to have him removed. It was also known that Misratan officials were unhappy with him being mayor because of his contacts with the Thinni administration in Beida.
Last month, the local goverment ministry in Tripoli proposed the appointment of an interim mayor pending an outcome to the kidnapping but were prevented by continued lack of consensus among the other municipal councillors.