funeral

Authorities investigating killing of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, once seen as de-facto PM under father’s iron-fisted rule.

Thousands of people have attended the funeral of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s most prominent son, who was shot dead this week.

The burial took place on Friday in the town of Bani Walid, some 175 kilometres (110 miles) south of Tripoli.

Nearly 15 years after the elder Gaddafi was toppled and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising, thousands of loyalists turned up to mourn his son, who was once seen as the former leader’s heir apparent.

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was killed on Tuesday in his home in the northwestern city of Zintan. His office said in a statement that he had been killed during a “direct confrontation” with four unknown gunmen who broke into his home.

The office of Libya’s attorney general said investigators and forensic doctors examined the 53-year-old’s body and determined that he died from gunshot wounds and that the office was working to identify suspects.

“We are here to accompany our beloved one, the son of our leader in whom we placed our hope and our future,” said Waad Ibrahim, a 33-year-old woman from Sirte, nearly 300km (186 miles) away from Bani Walid.

Divided country

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was once described as the de facto prime minister under his father’s iron-fisted 40-year rule, cultivating an image of moderation and reform despite holding no official position.

Championing himself as a reformer, he led talks on Libya abandoning its weapons of mass destruction and negotiated compensation for the families of those killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988.

But that reputation soon collapsed when he promised “rivers of blood” in response to the 2011 uprising, which led to his arrest that year on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.

In 2021, he announced he would run for president, but the elections aiming to unify the divided country under a United Nations agreement were indefinitely postponed.

Today, Libya remains split between Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s UN-backed government based in Tripoli and an eastern administration backed by Khalifa Haftar.

The killing of Gaddafi, seen by many as an alternative to the country’s power duopoly, occurred less than a week after a reported January 28 meeting in France’s Elysee Palace, which brought together Haftar’s son and advisers to Dbeibah.

Jan. 30 (Asia Today) — Leaders of South Korea’s Democratic Party and conservative People Power Party shook hands Friday at the funeral of former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan and exchanged brief words about working toward “good politics,” marking their first handshake in months.

Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae greeted People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk at the funeral hall at Seoul National University Hospital in central Seoul after Jang paid his respects.

Chung, who has previously avoided handshakes with political rivals, asked Jang how he was doing and remarked that he looked thinner, according to aides. Jang replied that he had lost weight and had struggled to regain it.

After the exchange, the two leaders offered each other well-wishes and said they would try to pursue better politics in line with Lee’s legacy, the aides said.

Jang visited with other senior People Power Party officials, including floor leader Song Eon-seok and policy committee chairman Jeong Jeom-sik. Conservative lawmakers and former lawmakers had continued condolence visits through Thursday, the party said. Jang had sent a funeral wreath earlier this week.

Chung declared after his election as party leader last August that he would not shake hands with the opposition, saying handshakes should be reserved for “people.” He last shook hands with rival-party leaders in September during a meeting at the presidential office, at the urging of President Lee Jae-myung.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260130010013922