Moussa Ibrahim

Moussa Ibrahim Gaddafi (Arabic: موسى إبراهيم‎ ; romanized also as Mussa and Musa, born 7 December 1974)[1] is a Libyan political figure who rose to international attention in 2011 as Muammar Gaddafi's Information Minister and official spokesman, serving in this role until the government was toppled in the Libyan Civil War. Ibrahim held frequent press conferences in the course of the war, denouncing rebel forces and the NATO-led military intervention, often in defiant and impassioned tones. His status and whereabouts remained unknown following the Battle of Tripoli in which the Gaddafi government was overthrown, although there were several claims and subsequent refutations of his capture.[2] Eventually, in late 2014, it was discovered he was in Egypt before he was deported and fled to Serbia. On 12 January 2015 Moussa Ibrahim spoke publicly by video link at a political event hosted at the Committee Rooms Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London from an undisclosed location, also the Director of Private Security Company.

This article is about a Libyan government spokesman. For the Bangladeshi mountaineer and journalist, see Musa Ibrahim.

Moussa Ibrahim Gaddafi
موسى إبراهيم
Moussa Ibrahim March 2013
Born (1974-12-07) 7 December 1974
Sirte, Libya
NationalityLibya
Alma materUniversity of Exeter
School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
Royal Holloway, University of London
OccupationGovernment spokesman
OrganizationLibyan Arab Jamahiriya
Known forLibyan Civil War

Biography

Ibrahim was born on 7 December 1974 into Gaddafi's Qadhadhfa tribe. He studied politics at the University of Exeter in the early 2000s, where he met his future wife Julia Ramelow, a German-born theology student, with whom he has a young son.[3] He worked on a PhD in media arts at Royal Holloway, University of London, completing his final exam in May 2010.[4] One of Ibrahim's lecturers at the University of Exeter, Dr. Larbi Sadiki, described him as an engaging, friendly but serious student — "a nice guy but with a short fuse."[5] He told Sky News: "I lived in London for 15 years. I know every street in London. I know how decent the British people are."[6]

On 19 August 2011, his brother was allegedly killed by an Apache helicopter in Zawiya.[7] During the Battle of Tripoli, he called for a ceasefire and blamed NATO and the West for the situation, saying that the conflicting parties should sit down and negotiate; although he also said that thousands of professional soldiers were ready to defend Tripoli against rebel forces staging an uprising within the capital, as well those advancing towards the city from Zawiya.[8]

After the fall of Tripoli, Ibrahim allegedly went on the run with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and was sighted by a senior NTC field commander in Bani Walid. On 5 September 2011, Ibrahim called Reuters by telephone to confirm that Muammar Gaddafi was still in Libya, but declined to say where Gaddafi or himself was.[9]

On 26 September 2011, Ibrahim called Reuters by satellite phone to confirm that he was in Sirte the day before when it came under attack by NTC and acknowledged that the situation in Sirte was "quite bad."[10] He confirmed that Gaddafi was still in Libya, but refused to comment on the specific location. He also claimed that he had left Sirte, but vowed to "go back there." It was incorrectly reported by Misrata-based Freedom TV on 29 September 2011 that Ibrahim had been captured near Sirte by NTC fighters while "dressed as a woman."[11][12] No independent confirmation was forthcoming, and the report was denied by a pro-Gaddafi TV channel. Later that day a spokesman for the Misrata military council, Adel Ibrahim, told AFP "We cannot confirm he was arrested", and two days later an NTC commander admitted they had not captured him.[13]

On 20 October 2011, on the day Gaddafi was killed in the Battle of Sirte, Reuters reported that Ibrahim had been captured near Sirte, according to a Libyan transitional forces commander;[14] however, this was again proven to be untrue. On 22 October 2011, he was reportedly captured for a third time, along with Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, near Bani Walid.[15] This claim was also discredited, as Saif was not captured until 19 November near the town of Ubari. On 20 January 2012, it was reported for the fourth time that Ibrahim had been captured in Asbi'a, Libya.[16] However, the following day these claims were denied by officials in Tripoli.[17] On 22 January 2012, a video was released showing Ibrahim boarding an airplane and claimed he was in "excellent health."[18]

On 20 October 2012, Ibrahim was reported captured for the fifth time, in the town of Tarhuna, 40 miles south of Tripoli.[19] For the first time, the reports were backed by the government, who said he was "being transferred to Tripoli to begin interrogation."[20] An audio clip was then released on Facebook, purporting to be Ibrahim's voice denying the reports.[21][22] On 24 October, government spokesman Nasser Al Manaa apologised for the false reports along with claims that Khamis Gaddafi had been killed.[23]

Ibrahim's elder brother Mohamed Ibrahim Mansour, a "senior finance official" under Gaddafi, was reportedly arrested in Cairo on 19 March 2013, facing charges of corruption.[24] Several new audio clips purportedly of Ibrahim have been published online, but remain unverified.

On 31 October 2014, Egypt, which had become increasingly close to the internationally recognized government of Libya based in Tobruk, agreed to deport Moussa Ibrahim from Cairo.[25]

On 12 January 2015, Moussa Ibrahim spoke publicly by video link at an event called "Libya: NATO's untold story" hosted by the Tricontinental Anti-Imperialist Platform at the Committee Rooms Houses of Parliament, in Westminster, London.[26][27]

On 27 April 2019, Moussa Ibrahim revealed that Gaddafi loyalists, including military, security, and civil society leaderships, had declared support for Khalifa Haftar, and praised Haftar's Operation Dignity for the release and general amnesty of Gaddafi regime detainees.[28]

On 6 October 2019, Moussa Ibrahim gave his first interview to international media since 2011.[29] He claimed NATO's 2011 military intervention in Libya was due to the West's "lust to continue exploiting Africa’s riches" in an appearance on RT.[30][31]

On 18 January 2020, Moussa Ibrahim claimed on RT that Green Resistance (Gaddafi loyalists) was using Haftar's army as a "vehicle for sovereign Libya."[32][33]

See also

References
  1. "The Global Intelligence Files - LIBYA - Moussa Ibrahim: The Colonel's mouthpiece". wikileaks.org. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  2. "Libya: Confusion at fate of Gaddafi aide Moussa Ibrahim". BBC News. 21 October 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2013.
  3. "UK-loving true believer sells Gaddafi's message". The Australian. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  4. Coward, Ros (25 October 2011). "My Christmas with Gaddafi's spokesman". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
  5. Kelly, Jon (2 April 2011). "Moussa Ibrahim: How Libya's voice was shaped in Britain". BBC News Magazine. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  6. Lisa, Holland (22 March 2011). "Full Interview With Moussa Ibrahim". Sky News. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
  7. "Brother of Libya's information minister reported killed in NATO strike". CNN. 19 August 2011.
  8. "Libya conflict: Rebels push towards Tripoli". BBC News. 21 August 2011.
  9. "Gaddafi still alive and well in Libya, spokesman says". France 24. 14 September 2011. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  10. Malone, Barry (26 September 2011). "Libya's Moussa Ibrahim says was in Sirte on Sunday". Reuters. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  11. "Gaddafi's spokesman arrested near Sirte: TV". Xinhua News Agency. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  12. "Libya: Gaddafi mouthpiece caught 'fleeing dressed as a woman'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  13. Nikolas, Katerina (1 October 2011). "NTC commander admits did not capture Moussa Ibrahim". Digital Journal. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
  14. "Gaddafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim captured --NTC". Reuters Africa. Reuters. 20 October 2011. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
  15. Nikolas, Katerina (23 October 2011). "Libya's NTC claim Saif al-Islam Gaddafi captured alive, uninjured". Digital Journal.
  16. "Reports: Former Gaddafi Spokesman Captured". SKY News. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  17. McSmith, Andy (21 January 2012). "Inspectors uncover Gaddafi's secret stash of chemical weapons". The Independent. London.
  18. "Dr. Moussa Ibrahim is alive and in good health".
  19. "Libya gov't says former Gaddafi spokesman captured". Reuters. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  20. "Gaddafi spokesman Moussa Ibrahim 'captured in Libya'". BBC. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  21. Staff, By the CNN Wire. "Former Gadhafi spokesman denies capture in Libya". CNN. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  22. "Confusion in Libya over fate of former Gaddafi spokesman". Reuters. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 20 October 2012.
  23. "Bani Walid falls". Libya Herald.
  24. "Extradited Qaddafi regime figures flown into Tripoli". Libya Herald. 26 March 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
  25. Reuters Staff (31 October 2014). "Former Gaddafi spokesman expelled from Egypt -state newspaper". Reuters. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  26. "Libya: Dr. Moussa Ibrahim speaks -state newspaper". Pravda. 17 February 2015. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  27. "Dr Moussa Ibrahim's first public address since Nato's War on Libya in 2011 -video". Youtube. 17 February 2015. Archived from the original on 17 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  28. "Former regime spokesman: It's time for Dignity Operation to abandon February 17 revolution | The Libya Observer". www.libyaobserver.ly. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  29. "https://twitter.com/_moussa_ibrahim/status/1180456547975155712". Twitter. Retrieved 26 September 2020. External link in |title= (help)
  30. "Gaddafi's spokesperson: We have been proven right, 8 years after the Libyan Civil War! (E799)". RT International. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  31. "Libya was destroyed due to Western leaders' lust to continue exploiting Africa's riches – Gaddafi spokesman". RT International. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  32. Gomati, Anas El. "Russia's Role in the Libyan Civil War Gives It Leverage Over Europe". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  33. "Gaddafi's Ex-Spokesperson: Green Resistance Using Haftar's Army as a Vehicle for Sovereign Libya".
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