Op-ed: Is Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi Libya's Savior?

Several groups affiliated to so-called the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya denounced the detention campaigns carried out by security forces against supporters of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi. 

Many Libyans demand the return of Dr. Saif al-Islam Muammar Gaddafi, son of the late leader of the oil-rich country. They believe that Saif al-Islam is their 'Mahdi" (savior) who can solve the political crisis and the dilemma that the country has been witnessing since the fall of Gaddafi’s rule in 2011.

Youth, rebels, and members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Libya, the Zwara branch, demanded, in a statement, all the people of the city to rise up with the rest of the cities of Libya against the bad situation and difficult conditions, “in light of the attempt of traitors and agents to sell the homeland and bring colonialists, which is considered a disgrace to all Libyans because they defiled the land and sold honor,” according to the statement.

They emphasized that there is no solution except to take to streets to call on the savior of Libya, Saif al-Islam, who they described as “the sword of national reconciliation, the sword of reconstruction and construction, and the sword of Libya of tomorrow so that they can restore Libya's prestige in front of the world.”

Saif al-Islam has always enjoyed the love and appreciation of all Libyan groups, especially the youth, who organized a demonstration in the capital, Tripoli, in 2008, when he announced his withdrawal from the political life, saying that he had completed his mission "and the train is on the track."

The participants in the demonstration appealed to Saif al-Islam at that time, saying: “The Libya Al-Tomorrow program is a promising platform for Libya’s youth, expressing high partnership, national unity and public ideas that are the absolute choices of Libyan youth.”

In my opinion, Libyans are pided into three camps, not only two as many think. The first camp supports the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in the east.

The second camp backs the Government of the National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj. The third camp is loyal to the son of the late leader of Libya, Gaddafi.