Ethiopia releases Lebanese businessman held since last week

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry says Ethiopia has released a Lebanese businessman who had been detained in the African nation since last week. The ministry said Sunday that Hassan Jaber will head from Ethiopia to the African nation of Gabon and later will return to Lebanon.

On Friday, the ministry had summoned Ethiopia's charge d'affaires demanding information about Jaber, whom it said was detained in Addis Ababa on September 7. It informed the Ethiopian diplomat that Beirut wants "clear answers" by Monday, otherwise Lebanon would take countermeasures.

Some Lebanese media outlets have speculated that Israel or the United States might have been behind Jaber's arrest. The ministry did not give any explanation for why Jaber was held in Ethiopia.