The killing of Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son and once presumed successor of Libya’s long-time ruler Muammar Gadhafi, whose funeral drew thousands of mourners from across Libya, may represent more than the disappearance of a controversial political figure. Gadhafi reshaped Libya through a centralised but chaotic political architecture that fused authoritarian rule with complex tribal mediation. “The Gadhafi state was less ideological than outsiders assumed. When Gadhafi was captured and killed near Sirte in October 2011, Libya lost not only its ruler but the centralised authority that sustained its political system. History may ultimately remember Saif al-Islam Gadhafi not simply as the heir of a controversial ruler but as one of Libya’s last unresolved political alternatives.

Source: Libya Today February 13, 2026 11:40 UTC