AU Condemns Assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in Libya

 The African Union Commission has condemned the assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, in what officials are calling a “violent act” threatening Libya’s fragile political transition.

In a statement on Wednesday, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the AU Commission, expressed condolences to Gaddafi’s family and urged Libyan authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. He stressed that political disputes must be resolved through peaceful and lawful means, warning that the killing could destabilize the nation further.

According to Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Ahmed Khalifa, Gaddafi, 53, was shot and killed in Zintan City, where he had resided for over a decade after being captured during the 2011 uprising that toppled his father.

Former Gaddafi spokesperson Moussa Ibrahim, who first amplified the news on X (formerly Twitter), called the incident a “treacherous assassination”, accusing unnamed actors of seeking to plunge Libya back into chaos. Ibrahim, who said he spoke with Saif al-Islam just two days before the attack, described him as focused on a “peaceful Libya and the safety of its people.”

Saif al-Islam had long been viewed as a polarizing figure and potential heir to his father’s regime. His death now marks a major turning point in Libya’s political landscape, potentially undermining national reconciliation efforts and heightening the risk of renewed civil strife.

The AU called for restraint and calm among all political actors in Libya, emphasizing that further violence would only deepen divisions in the country.

SOURCE : Al Jazeera