Libya prepares for the funeral of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi as Dbeibah responds
As Libya prepares to lay Saif al-Islam Gaddafi to rest, the Tripoli-based Government of National Unity has issued its first official reaction to the killing of the son of the late leader.
Earlier, two sons of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi announced that their brother Saif al-Islam, who was killed on Tuesday by unknown assailants, would be buried on Friday in Bani Walid, a stronghold of a tribe that remained loyal to the colonel who ruled the country for more than forty years.
In his first official comment, Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah stated that “Libya is going through a delicate phase that requires reason to prevail,” warning of “the heavy price Libyans pay whenever the door to violence is reopened.” He stressed that “Libyan blood, regardless of whose it is, remains a red line that must not be taken lightly.”
Outside the logic of the state
In a statement, Dbeibah said that “paths of assassination and exclusion have never produced a state or stability; instead, they have deepened divisions and burdened the national memory with accumulated wounds.” He noted that Libya had experienced this approach in previous stages, resulting in a prolonged conflict and distancing Libyans from the project of an inclusive state.
He considered that the only way to address such crimes is to resort to state institutions and the course of justice, in order to uncover the full truth and entrench the principle of accountability, away from any logic of revenge or justification.
Dbeibah emphasized that “the state Libyans aspire to is one based on the rule of law and institutions, where disputes are managed through dialogue and recourse to the will of the people, not through weapons or the reproduction of past tragedies.” He affirmed that “the nation is broad enough to embrace all those who choose to engage in the project of a single state, on the basis of adherence to its rules and institutions.”
He also stressed that submitting to the judiciary represents the true guarantee for preserving rights and safeguarding dignity, noting that the Libyan judiciary, despite the challenges it faces, remains an independent national institution and a refuge for achieving justice.
Arrangements and measures
In the same context, Dbeibah condemned any attempts to infringe upon the right of the deceased’s family or the Gaddafa tribe to hold mourning ceremonies, or to restrict humanitarian solidarity among Libyans, considering such practices contrary to authentic Libyan social values.
The body of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi arrived at Bani Walid General Hospital ahead of his burial in the city in accordance with his wishes, amid organizational and security arrangements overseen by official authorities in coordination with the family.
In this regard, the Minister of Interior of the Government of National Unity, Imad Trabelsi, instructed security directors in Bani Walid, Al-Merqeb, Al-Jafara, Tarhouna, and Al-Nawahi Al-Arbaa to implement a comprehensive security plan to secure the funeral ceremony, ensure the safety of participants, and maintain public order.
The arrangements also included providing adequate fuel supplies in the cities along the funeral route, as part of the logistical preparations accompanying the burial.
Investigations and questions
On the judicial front, the Libyan Public Prosecutor’s Office continues its investigations into the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, confirming that the death resulted from a gunshot wound, while the circumstances of the crime and the details of its execution remain under official scrutiny.
Saif al-Islam was killed on Tuesday in the city of Zintan in western Libya, in an incident that has raised widespread questions about the perpetrators and their motives, particularly amid reports that surveillance cameras were disabled shortly before the assassination, adding new dimensions to an extremely sensitive security and political case.
