The strange resurrection of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

Last week Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the son and onetime heir apparent of the former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, appeared in the southern desert city of Sebha. A furtive, uneasy, and aged Gaddafi, who had been missing for several years, was dressed in robes that mirrored his father’s trademark look and if you squinted, it almost looked like Gaddafi himself had risen from his unmarked Saharan grave.

Gaddafi junior, who has been in hiding for four years, was back to take part in the Libyan presidential elections which are scheduled to take place on Christmas Eve this year. Since Libya’s last civil war formally ended with a ceasefire in October 2020, the UN has been forging ahead with a peace process to allow Libyans to hold their first national elections in seven years.