Tayeb El-Safi
Tayeb el-Safi (Arabic: الطيب الصافي; born 1954) is a Libyan political operative. He briefly served as minister of economy and trade and was one of the closest aides of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi during the Libyan Civil War. He was unknown to the public until a series of calls were leaked by Al Jazeera. Before returning to Libyan politics in 2016, El-Safi, along with 50,000 other Gaddafi loyalists, fled to Egypt.
Biography
[edit]El-Safi is a native of Tobruk and later spent time in Tajura, where he caught the attention of Gaddafi.[1]
In the 1980s, he had several international postings, primarily in Europe, at a time when Gaddafi's "stray dog" policy was in effect, a policy in which many anti-Gaddafi dissidents were being assassinated extrajudicially.[1][2][3] He was a shadowy figure who was virtually unknown by both Libyans and international observers until frequent communications between him and senior leadership of Gaddafi's government, including Gaddafi, Abdullah Senussi, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and Baghdadi Mahmudi, were leaked by Al Jazeera in 2012.[4][5][6] El-Safi took a key role in attempting to put down the anti-Gaddafi opposition and orchestrated pro-Gaddafi propaganda and rallies. After the fall of Tripoli, El-Safi fled to Egypt. He was among an estimated 50,000 Gaddafi loyalists who fled to Egypt and among the most high-profile, along with Tohami Khaled, Ali Treki, and Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam.[7] Despite the request of the National Transitional Council, he was not extradited for trial.[8]
In 2016, El-Safi returned to Libyan politics and aligned himself with Khalifa Haftar's Operation Dignity.[9] Haftar's Air Force head Fakir Jarroushi confirmed that El-Safi had returned to Libya and had a meeting with Haftar in Marj.[10] El-Safi publicly called for "comprehensive reconciliation" between the three rival governments in Libya and Gaddafi loyalists. He also criticized the UN-sponsored Skhirat Agreement that created the Government of National Accord as lacking legitimacy and the GNA-appointed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj as only having legality from international support rather than "legality from the Libyan people."[11] The following year, El-Safi claimed Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was released from prison due to a general amnesty and was with his family and tribe.[12]
In May 2018, prominent Gaddafi loyalists, including El-Safi, Abdul Majid al-Qa′ud, Mohamed Abu al-Qasim al-Zwai, Mustafa Zaidi, and Saleh Rajab, publicly organized a forum in Haftar-controlled Benghazi named "The Preparatory Forum for National Forces," where they announced their support for Haftar and claimed that they wanted to save Libya from "terrorism, chaos, and foreign intervention."[13]
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Who's who: The people behind the recordings". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ Bright, Martin (28 March 2004). "Gadaffi still hunts 'stray dogs' in UK". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ "Factbox: Gaddafi rule marked by abuses, rights groups say". Reuters. 22 February 2011. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ Nakhoul, Samia (6 September 2011). "Special report: The secret plan to take Tripoli". Reuters. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ Mcelroy, Damien (10 May 2012). "Saif al-Islam Gaddafi 'gave direct orders for Libyan opponents to be killed'". www.telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 May 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ "Gaddafi son ordered death of 'traitors', phone tapes claim". The Times. 11 May 2012. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ Stocker, Valerie (15 November 2012). "Gaddafi's 'Amazon' guard found murdered in Cairo". Saudi Gazette. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ "Tayeb El Safi: Gaddafi's right-hand man". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ Abuzaakouk, Ali (17 September 2016). "America's Own War Criminal In Libya | The Libya Observer". libyaobserver.ly. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
- ↑ Hanly, Ken (18 April 2016). "Op-Ed: Libyan Air Force chief criticizes GNA Defence Minister-designate". Digital Journal. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Tayeb El Safi: I Call Libyans for a Comprehensive Reconciliation". Asharq Al-Awsat English Archive. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Allying with Haftar is Gaddafi Son's Weakest Option". Asharq Al-Awsat English Archive. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ Khalifa, Ahmad (15 May 2018). "Libya has its first electoral alliance between Haftar and Gaddafi loyalists". Middle East Monitor. Retrieved 24 January 2023.