NAIROBI, Kenya — The African Union (AU) has condemned the killing of Libyan political figure Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, warning that the assassination risks undermining Libya’s fragile political transition and prospects for national reconciliation.
Saif al-Islam, 53, the son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, was killed in an armed attack on February 3, 2026, in Zintan City in western Libya, according to members of his political team.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, AU Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf described the killing as a serious threat to ongoing efforts to stabilise the country and organise a credible, inclusive political process.
“We recall the imperative of resolving political differences through peaceful and lawful means,” Mahmoud said, urging all Libyan political actors to exercise calm and restraint.
He extended condolences to Gaddafi’s family and those affected by the incident, and called on Libyan authorities to ensure accountability. Mahmoud reaffirmed the AU’s commitment to supporting Libya in achieving a durable, consensual and peaceful resolution to the political and security crisis that has gripped the country since 2011.
Details emerging from Gaddafi’s political team suggest the attack was carefully planned. Abdullah Othman Abdurrahim, a member of the team, said in a Facebook post that four masked gunmen carried out what he described as a “treacherous operation,” storming Gaddafi’s residence around noon.
According to the account, the assailants disabled surveillance cameras before a direct armed confrontation ensued, leading to Gaddafi’s death. The team called on the Libyan judiciary and the international community to investigate the killing and identify both the perpetrators and those who “masterminded” the attack.
Libyan prosecutors confirmed that forensic experts had been dispatched to Zintan to investigate the incident. In a statement, the prosecution said preliminary findings indicated that the victim “died from wounds by gunfire,” adding that investigators were seeking to interview witnesses and anyone with information that could shed light on the circumstances of the killing.
Marcel Ceccaldi, a lawyer representing Gaddafi, said his client was killed by an unidentified “four-man commando” who stormed his house.
The killing drew reactions from Libya’s divided political leadership. Mohamed al-Menfi, head of the UN-backed Presidential Council, urged political forces, the media and social actors to avoid inflammatory statements.
He referred to Saif al-Islam as a “presidential candidate” and warned that escalation could undermine national reconciliation efforts and derail the holding of free and fair elections.
Moussa al-Kouni, vice-president of the Presidential Council representing Libya’s Fezzan region, condemned the killing on X, saying: “No to political assassinations, no to achieving demands by force and no to violence as a language or a means of expression.”
Libya has remained deeply unstable since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled Muammar Gaddafi, with power split between a UN-recognised administration in Tripoli and an eastern authority aligned with military commander Khalifa Haftar.
Saif al-Islam was arrested in November 2011 under an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged crimes against humanity. He was sentenced to death in 2015 by a Tripoli court but was later granted amnesty. In 2021, he announced his intention to run for president, though elections were repeatedly postponed.
No official burial arrangements have been announced. However, Abdurrahim told Libyan media that an autopsy had been completed and that Gaddafi could be buried in Bani Walid, south of Tripoli.
