On 6 July, French magazine Jeune Afrique published an article by Armand Duchêne, describing Saddam Haftar as ‘the ambitious son’ of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Commander Khalifa Haftar. In his article, Duchêne claims that Saddam, Haftar’s youngest and ‘favorite’ son, will likely run for president, as the 80-year-old warlord prepares him for succession. He argues that Saddam’s influence is based on his powerful Tariq bin Ziyad brigade, as well as his involvement in human trafficking and the smuggling of fuel, gold, and drugs, which he uses as leverage to profit from European funds. Duchêne also points to Saddam’s diplomatic efforts, noting his contribution to bringing his father closer to his rival in Tripoli and even proposing normalization with Israel in exchange for military support.
Read the full article here.