Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed: Haftar’s promotions for his sons are preparation for the next Libyan stage to achieve his ambition for absolute rule
The Qatari Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed website confirmed that the rise of the sons of the American Khalifa Haftar is increasing in the areas he controls in eastern and southern Libya, which raised questions about whether Haftar is preparing for a second stage to achieve his ambition for absolute rule after his failure to rule the country by force of arms.
The website explained, in a report, that since 2022, the sons of the American Khalifa Haftar have begun to assume leadership of many powerful institutions and militias affiliated with their father’s leadership, the first of which is Saddam, the third son of Khalifa Haftar in the family order.
The report continued that Saddam was granted the rank of colonel in early 2021, without engaging in military and security studies, and was appointed commander of the Tariq bin Ziyad militia, which included a number of his father’s militias fleeing his aggression against Tripoli in mid-2021, before he was promoted to the rank of mid-major general. Last May, he was appointed commander of the Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces.
He pointed out that since Haftar’s involvement in political work and his candidacy for the presidential elections at the end of 2021, Belkacem, his second son, has emerged as his political advisor, and was present on the sidelines of most of the political negotiations that took place following the collapse of the election project, representing his father.
He continued that Belkacem had built up a great deal of weight within the Tobruk parliament in what was a political spectrum to obstruct the establishment of electoral laws that excluded his father, before Aguila Saleh appointed him, with a sudden decision, as head of the “Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund” apparatus, with absolute powers and without being subject to any oversight or accountability, and he joined him. Dozens of government institutions.
He added that this is a map distributing the positions of government held by the sons of the American Haftar, while three other of his sons remained engaged in activities on the margins without any actual visible roles. They are his eldest son Al-Siddiq, who was known for his interest in cultural and sporting activities, Salah, who is known to be one of the symbols of the Madkhali movement, and Uqba, who was known for his interest in cultural and sporting activities. He still resides in Virginia and manages a number of the Haftar family’s private properties and projects.
He pointed out that the rise of Khalifa Haftar’s sons in these centers has been evident since the year 2020, when Haftar began to gather his strength and regain his presence on the scene, following the major collapse of the strength of his militia, after receiving a major defeat south of Tripoli during its attack on the Libyan capital in 2019, which caused a significant decline in his control. The military forces were confined to Benghazi and a number of neighboring areas.
He pointed out that the American Haftar last month appointed his two sons-in-law, Bassem Al-Ferjani and Ayoub Al-Ferjani, who are his cousins, and they have emerged over the past few years as leaders of some brigades, in positions close to him. The first is commander of his private guard, and the second is his private secretary, replacing Khairy Al-Tamimi, who assumed this position. For years.
