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Libya - The Comeback of Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi

August 13, 2024

Few had reckoned on this scenario: another Gaddafi vying for power. Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi is the second son of the Libyan dictator Muammar Al Gaddafi, who was killed in 2011.

https://p.dw.com/p/4i1mX
Libya - The Comeback of Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi
Image: Studiofacts Rights

Now, Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi is a candidate in Libya’s presidential elections.

Libya - The Comeback of Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi
People gather to protest against the candidacy application of Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi, the son of former Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi, for upcoming presidential election in Tripoli, Libya in 2021.Image: Hamza Alahmar/AA/picture alliance

Statements from relatives and political actors paint a portrait of an unpredictable and fiercely determined man. Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi’s presidential bid is a major challenge for Libya. The second son of the Libyan dictator Muammar Al Gaddafi has been convicted several times in Libya and is being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

Libya - The Comeback of Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi
Muammar al-Gaddafi and his sons Hannibal al-Gaddafi (l) and Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi (r). Image: picture-alliance/dpa

Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi has had an unusual life: he grew up a clan that operated with a high degree of paranoia, suspecting conspiracies at work everwhere. Later, he led a playboy lifestyle in Europe, presenting himself to the world as a reformer. In the second phase of his life, which began with the Libyan revolution of 2011, he perpetuated the repressive style of his father’s regime. He was taken prisoner by anti-Gaddifi militias who made him stand trial -- but only allowed him to take part via videolink. 

Libya - The Comeback of Saif Al Islam Al Gaddafi
Image: Studiofacts Rights

Everyone in Libya is talking about him, all kinds of rumors are doing the rounds, his life is under threat. People say he’s a crazy, sick mystic who’s absconded into the desert. What’s making him run for president, despite the death threats? Does he stand a chance of winning? What does he know about the secret machinations of his father’s regime? His eventful life mirrors the current chaos in Libya: a country divided, with one government in the east and another in the west, rival militias vying for power and foreign states influencing the conflict. With statements from relatives and political actors, the film paints a portrait of Saif Al Islam - an unpredictable and fiercely determined survivor who is trying to find his way.  

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