Saif al-Islam was assassinated because he believed in a unified and sovereign country, Moussa Ibrahim has said
Moussa Ibrahim, the former information minister of Libya, has stated that foreign powers ordered the assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son of the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Last week, Saif al-Islam was killed by gunmen at his residence in Zintan, a city in northwestern Libya. The 53-year-old politician had intended to compete for the presidency of the North African nation, which continues to be divided between competing governments and has experienced intermittent civil war since his father was killed during a NATO-backed uprising in 2011.
In an interview with RT on Tuesday, Ibrahim stated, “there is no doubt that Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was not just killed by some Libyan traitors, but this was a hit order by foreign powers.”
He speculated that the individuals responsible for the attack might have included not only Libyans but also foreign troops.
The former minister did not specify the countries that allegedly orchestrated the killing of Gaddafi’s son but suggested they might be Western nations.
“They know that if they actually have elections… Saif will win. So, they needed to get rid of him first, so then they can get the Libyan agents of foreign powers to come together and form some sort of a government that looks legitimate, looks democratic, but it’s a government that only executes the orders, and the wishes, and the whims of Western powers,” he explained.
According to Ibrahim, all the factions competing for control in Libya “belong to a foreign power or another,” while Gaddafi’s son “remained independent, who believed in the unity and sovereignty of the country.”
On Sunday, UK journalist Afshin Rattansi informed RT that, according to his sources, British and French intelligence services were involved in the killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
Last week, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow “strongly condemns” the assassination of the younger Gaddafi and expects a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice.