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Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s Statements Raise Suspicions

A circulated photo of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, attributed to the New York Times.
A circulated photo of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, attributed to the New York Times.
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Libya: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi’s Statements Raise Suspicions

A circulated photo of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, attributed to the New York Times.
A circulated photo of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, attributed to the New York Times.

Statements attributed to Saif al-Islam, the second son of late Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, have divided Libyans who questioned the authenticity of circulated photos of him.

Saif al-Islam has not been seen since his release by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade in 2017.

Supporters of the former regime celebrated the alleged appearance of Saif al-Islam, despite the objections of some to his interview with the New York Times, which it said was conducted last Ramadan and which carried criticism and insults against the Libyan people.

“I’ve been away from the Libyan people for 10 years. You need to come back slowly, slowly. Like a striptease. You need to play with their minds a little,” Saif told the newspaper.

Khaled Al-Ghail, foreign affairs advisor to the head of the Supreme Council of Libyan Tribes and Cities, and a former regime loyalist, said: “Soon to the lights...stay tuned for the next.”

For his part, Saad al-Senussi al-Barasi, a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the photos were of Saif al-Islam.

He described skeptics as “the enemies of the nation, and those who cling to power.”

If authentic, only part of Saif al-Islam’s face appears in the photos. The man has a long gray beard. The photos do not show the severed thumb and forefinger of his right hand.

He was dressed in a gilded black cloak, a scarf neatly draped around his head, and sat on a stately chair. The newspaper also reported that he lived in a two-story villa, which appeared to be luxurious.

Gaddafi saw that the administration of former US President Barack Obama, and not his father, was to blame for the destruction that befell Libya.

In the interview, which was titled, “Son of Gaddafi is still alive and wants to restore the lost unity of Libya,” Saif al-Islam described the spring and summer of 2011 as a series of surreal crises.

Ashraf Boudwara, head of the Preparatory Committee for the National Conference, said that the man in the picture was Al-Saadi Gaddafi, “not his brother Saif al-Islam.”

He asked: “I don’t know what the purpose of this interview is at this time?”

He went on to say: “If Saif Gaddafi is alive and doing well, even if he is sick and paralyzed, let him address his father's supporters, or give a speech in audio and video, instead of having it delivered by his lawyer on his behalf.”

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70 NGOs Demand UN Measures to Protect Civilians in Sudan

A war-torn neighborhood of Omdurman seem on November 2 (AFP)
A war-torn neighborhood of Omdurman seem on November 2 (AFP)
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70 NGOs Demand UN Measures to Protect Civilians in Sudan

A war-torn neighborhood of Omdurman seem on November 2 (AFP)
A war-torn neighborhood of Omdurman seem on November 2 (AFP)

A wave of violence and armed attacks by the Rapid Support Forces on over 30 villages and towns in parts of Al-Jazira State since on 20 October, have led to the displacement of more than 135,000 people (27,000 families) to various locations in Sudan, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The report came as ten civilians were killed Tuesday in the central Sudanese state of Al-Jazira, in an attack blamed on the RSF, according to the Madani Resistance Committee, one of hundreds of volunteer groups coordinating aid across the country.

On Tuesday, the Sudan INGO Forum, a group of 70 international NGOs working in Sudan, said the escalation of hostilities in Al-Jazira was marked by some of the most extreme violence in the past 18 months.

The Forum urged the international community to act on the UN Secretary-General’s call for decisive action to protect civilians and ensure safe and unfettered aid delivery across Sudan.

Injured children and sexual violence

OCHA said INGO received reports of missing, unaccompanied or separated children among displaced people, children with multiple gunshot injuries and arbitrary arrests and detention of children in parts of Al-Jazira.

In addition, alarming reports of sexual violence against young girls and adolescents continue to be reported, with some yet to be verified cases of women and girls subjected to sexual assault and violence committing suicide.

“Insecurity and lack of sustained communication channels is impacting the ability of humanitarian organizations to collect information and data on the situation in parts of Al-Jazira that have been subjected to violence and attacks,” the OCHA report said.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) reported in its Flash Alert on Al-Jazira State that thousands of people have arrived in 16 localities in Gedaref, Kassala and River Nile states.

DTM field teams reported that some affected people cannot relocate to safe areas due to movement restrictions.

They said the displaced people may continue to relocate depending on the capacity of shelter sites, the establishment of new gathering sites or reception centers, and the availability of humanitarian assistance.

In Gedaref, IOM said humanitarian partners report that more than 50% of the new arrivals are women and children. It added that many individuals were moving on foot, and the majority of the IDPs were reportedly women and children.

The report also mentioned that some areas are not accessible for humanitarians, making it challenging to deliver essential services and support to the displaced people.

Difficulty to Shelter IDPs

OCHA said its humanitarian partners face challenges in tracking some of the displaced population due to high mobility and the wide geographical areas.

This is complicating efforts to map and deliver assistance effectively, leading to potential duplication of efforts and gaps, the agency noted.

According to the Gedaref Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), the displaced people need immediate food among other assistance, with many of them relying on the host communities to meet their basic needs.

Also, IDPs arrive in dire health conditions due to long distances travelled (up to seven days on foot) and limited or lack of access to humanitarian assistance on the way.

OCHA also showed that the majority of IDPs fled abruptly, leaving behind personal belongings and assets. As a result, over 70-95% of them have lost their identification documents. Displaced people need medicines for diabetes, hypertension, and mental health condition, it said.

Meanwhile, the agency said that humanitarian partners in Kassala and Gedaref are scaling up response and mobilizing resources to meet the immediate needs of the newly arrived displaced people from Al-Jazira.