The death of the son of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi - Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, shot dead by gunmen in Libya, is among the leading topics in the world media today.
Gaddafi's son was killed after almost 15 years of a very special "escape", notes the French newspaper "Figaro", citing one of his advisers, Abdullah Osman Abdurahim. In a message signed by the "political team" of Saif al-Islam and published on the "Facebook" page Abdullah Abdurahim, said the man considered the Libyan leader's heir had been killed. "Four masked traitors broke into the home of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and turned off the cameras in a pathetic attempt to cover up their heinous crime. The martyr faced them in a heroic confrontation, advancing without retreating until God took him to Himself as His martyr and witness to the tragedy of his homeland," the statement said.
The information should be taken with reservations, as there are many people who claim to be close to Saif al-Islam, the newspaper noted. However, the information has been confirmed by several sources, including Hamid Gaddafi, his cousin.
Although he did not hold official office, Saif al-Islam was once considered the most powerful man in the country after his father, who ruled the oil-rich African country for more than four decades, notes the British newspaper "Telegraph". He led negotiations to eliminate weapons of mass destruction in Libya and negotiated compensation for the families of the victims of the 1988 bombing of PanAm Flight 103 over Lockerbie. Determined to free Libya from its status as a country that had been shunned by all, Saif al-Islam began a dialogue with the West and proclaimed himself a reformer, calling for a constitution and respect for human rights.
A graduate of the London School of Economics and fluent in English, he was once seen by many governments as the acceptable, Western-friendly face of Libya. But when the uprising against Gaddafi’s long rule erupted in 2011, Saif al-Islam immediately chose loyalty to family and clan over his many friendships and became the leader of the brutal suppression of the uprising. He called the rebels "rats" and promised that government forces would fight to the last man. Saif al-Islam also spoke of "rivers of blood" that will be shed in Libya.
Saif al-Islam, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, could become a martyr because of the way he died," warns commentator Emad Badi, quoted by the French newspaper "Liberation".
Long detained in Zintan, in 2015 he was sentenced to death after an expedited trial before receiving an amnesty.
Until the announcement of his death, his whereabouts were unknown. In 2021, despite being wanted, he ran for president of Libya, relying on the support of those nostalgic for the old regime. In the end, the elections did not take place.
According to Emad Badi, the death of Saif al-Islam "could turn him into a martyr in the eyes of a significant part of the population, while at the same time changing the electoral balance, removing one of the main obstacles to the presidential elections". The reason is that "his candidacy and his chances of success (were) a central point of controversy", he explains in "Ex".
Although the identity and motives of the four assassins are unknown, Saif al-Islam continued to be a divisive figure, writes the French newspaper "Le Monde". Against him were those who took advantage of the status quo and whose positions he threatened, as well as those who had not forgotten the horrors of the old regime.
At a time when the Haftar clan (father Khalifa and sons Saddam, Khaled and Belgasem) controls the eastern part of Libya and Fezzan, sharing the rule of the country with the friends of Ibrahim Dbeiba, head of the government in Tripoli, under a difficult agreement, the elimination of the son of the former leader will certainly settle some issues. But the death of Saif al-Islam will not put an end to the plundering of the country.
It is only certain that Saif al-Islam continues to be inconvenient. He did not stop working on the periphery of the Libyan political scene, always present in the minds of the people. While he was alive, no one could prevent the legend from spreading, fueling the expectations of his supporters for his miraculous return.
His emergence in Libyan politics in 2021 "was encouraged by the Russians," according to a Tripoli-based analyst, Le Monde noted. This came at a time when the Wagner mercenary group was consolidating its positions in Libya in connection with its breakthroughs in the Sahel.
The death of Seif al-Islam will undoubtedly open a "Pandora's box" and evil spirits will come out of it, who will come to seek revenge, the French publication believes.
The Libyan armed group "444th Combat Brigade" has already published a statement on social media denying any "direct or indirect" connection to the murder, the New York Times noted. The group warned against spreading "rumors against it aimed at confusing the situation and creating chaos".