Baghdadi Mahmudi
Encyclopedia
Baghdadi Ali Mahmudi was Secretary of the General People's Committee (prime minister
) of Libya
from 5 March 2006 to as late as 1 September 2011, when he acknowledged the collapse of the GPCO and the ascendance of the National Transitional Council
as a result of the Libyan civil war
. He has a medical degree, specialising in obstetrics and gynecology, and had served as Deputy Prime Minister to Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem
since 2003 at the time he was appointed to replace him. He was a part of Gaddafi's inner circle at least prior to his defection in mid-2011.
He was arrested in Tunisia for illegal border entry and jailed for six months,, although this was later overruled on appeal, however a Tunisian court decided to extradite Mamoudi to Libya under a request from Libya's Tranisitonal council.
On 5 March 2006 Mahmudi was appointed to head the Libyan government, as Secretary of the General People's Committee; although it is believed by the United States and many other nations that Muammar Gaddafi
was the de facto chief of state. In addition to being prime minister, he chaired the High Council for Oil & Gas which was created in September 2006 to improve decision making in the petroleum sector, as well chairing the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) which was created in 2007 to restructure state enterprises.
From 2006 until 2011, Mahmudi was the Secretary of the General People's Committee and headed the Liaison Office of the Revolutionary Committees. He also held the chairmanship of both the Libya Investment Authority (one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world) and the Libyan Oil and Gas Council. On 26 February 2011, the United Nations Security Council
issued Resolution 1970
which imposed a travel ban on Mahmudi.
The three-phase river project alone is estimated to total more than US$18.5 billion.
plains."
, to benefit future generations after the country's oil reserves (the largest in Africa) have been consumed.
, Mahmudi reportedly fled to Djerba
, a resort island in Tunisia
. Supporters of the anti-Gaddafi movement
attempted to storm the hotel where he was staying, according to the reports, but were unsuccessful. On 22 September 2011 Mahumdi was detained and sentenced to 6 months in jail for illegally entering Tunisia without a visa. An appeals court approved the decision to extradite him to Libya on November 8.
television which broadcast details in brief headlines. Mahmudi said he was still in Libya and in contact with the National Transitional Council
now in charge, Al Arabiya reported.
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
) of Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
from 5 March 2006 to as late as 1 September 2011, when he acknowledged the collapse of the GPCO and the ascendance of the National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
as a result of the Libyan civil war
2011 Libyan civil war
The 2011 Libyan civil war was an armed conflict in the North African state of Libya, fought between forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and those seeking to oust his government. The war was preceded by protests in Benghazi beginning on 15 February 2011, which led to clashes with security...
. He has a medical degree, specialising in obstetrics and gynecology, and had served as Deputy Prime Minister to Prime Minister Shukri Ghanem
Shukri Ghanem
Shukri Mohammed Ghanem is a Libyan politician who was General Secretary of the General People's Committee of Libya from June 2003 until March 2006 when, in the first major government re-shuffle in over a decade, he was replaced by his deputy, Baghdadi Mahmudi...
since 2003 at the time he was appointed to replace him. He was a part of Gaddafi's inner circle at least prior to his defection in mid-2011.
He was arrested in Tunisia for illegal border entry and jailed for six months,, although this was later overruled on appeal, however a Tunisian court decided to extradite Mamoudi to Libya under a request from Libya's Tranisitonal council.
Background
Mahmudi came from the Zawiya District of northwestern Libya. He trained as a physician, and in 1992 was appointed Minister of Health and Social Security. In 1997 he was replaced in that ministry by Suleiman al-Ghamari and from then until 2000 Mahmudi was the Minister for the People's Committees' Affairs. For seven months in 2000 (March-September), he was the deputy prime minister for Services Affairs. Mahmudi then became Minister of Human Resources Affairs for six months, and then Minister for Infrastructure, Urban Planning and Environment Affairs for five months. In September 2001, he was appointed deputy prime minister for Production Affairs. On 7 March 2004 he became the deputy prime minister for Libya (Assistant Secretary of the General People's Committee).On 5 March 2006 Mahmudi was appointed to head the Libyan government, as Secretary of the General People's Committee; although it is believed by the United States and many other nations that Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Gaddafi
Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
was the de facto chief of state. In addition to being prime minister, he chaired the High Council for Oil & Gas which was created in September 2006 to improve decision making in the petroleum sector, as well chairing the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA) which was created in 2007 to restructure state enterprises.
Politics
Mahmudi is not considered a reformer, but is more of a technocrat.From 2006 until 2011, Mahmudi was the Secretary of the General People's Committee and headed the Liaison Office of the Revolutionary Committees. He also held the chairmanship of both the Libya Investment Authority (one of the largest sovereign wealth funds in the world) and the Libyan Oil and Gas Council. On 26 February 2011, the United Nations Security Council
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
issued Resolution 1970
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1970 was a measure adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on 26 February 2011. It condemned the use of lethal force by the regime of Muammar Gaddafi against protesters participating in the 2011 Libyan civil war, and imposed a series of...
which imposed a travel ban on Mahmudi.
Infrastructure projects
As deputy secretary-general of Libya's General People's Committee for Production Affairs, he oversaw the development of the two large infrastructure projects in Libya:- Great man-made river projectGreat Manmade RiverThe Great Man-Made River is a network of pipes that supplies water from the Sahara Desert in Libya, from the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System fossil aquifer. It is the world's largest irrigation project....
, and - Railways project
The three-phase river project alone is estimated to total more than US$18.5 billion.
Cost/benefit
Mahmudi answered questions about the cost and benefit of the projects, as follows: "We would like to focus very much in investment projects using this water, basically agriculture and animal stock projects. For this sector it has been allocated already a high percentage of the development funds. For this reason, we are concluding several agreements with foreign companies that are interested in investing in these projects, like for example in the BenghaziBenghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
plains."
Sovereign wealth fund
Mahmudi has also stated that Libya has amassed more than US$100 billion in a sovereign wealth fundSovereign wealth fund
A sovereign wealth fund is a state-owned investment fund composed of financial assets such as stocks, bonds, property, precious metals or other financial instruments. Sovereign wealth funds invest globally. Some of them have grabbed attention making bad investments in several Wall Street financial...
, to benefit future generations after the country's oil reserves (the largest in Africa) have been consumed.
Refuge in Tunisia
On 21 August 2011, amid the Battle of TripoliBattle of Tripoli (2011)
The Battle of Tripoli was a military confrontation in Tripoli, Libya, between loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi, the longtime leader of Libya, and the National Transitional Council, which was attempting to overthrow Gaddafi and take control of the capital...
, Mahmudi reportedly fled to Djerba
Djerba
Djerba , also transliterated as Jerba or Jarbah, is, at 514 km², the largest island of North Africa, located in the Gulf of Gabes, off the coast of Tunisia.-Description:...
, a resort island in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
. Supporters of the anti-Gaddafi movement
Anti-Gaddafi forces
The anti-Gaddafi forces were Libyan groups that opposed and militarily defeated the government of Muammar Gaddafi, killing him in the process. These opposition forces included organised and armed militia groups, participants in the 2011 Libyan civil war, Libyan diplomats who switched their...
attempted to storm the hotel where he was staying, according to the reports, but were unsuccessful. On 22 September 2011 Mahumdi was detained and sentenced to 6 months in jail for illegally entering Tunisia without a visa. An appeals court approved the decision to extradite him to Libya on November 8.
Defection
On 1 September 2011, Mahmudi told an Arabic news channel on Thursday that he supports those fighting against the former Libyan leader. He made the comments to Al ArabiyaAl Arabiya
Al Arabiya is a Pan-Arabist Saudi-owned Arabic-language television news channel. Launched on March 3, 2003, the channel is based in Dubai Media City, United Arab Emirates, and is majority-owned by the Saudi broadcaster Middle East Broadcasting Center ....
television which broadcast details in brief headlines. Mahmudi said he was still in Libya and in contact with the National Transitional Council
National Transitional Council
The National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
now in charge, Al Arabiya reported.
Arrest and Extradition
On 8 November 2011, it was reported that a Tunisian court ruled that Mahmudi should be extradited to Libya. His lawyer, Mabrouk Korchid said that “The judge decided to extradite him to Libya, It’s an unfair decision, a political decision. If any harm comes to him in Libya, the Tunisian justice system will be a party to that.”See also
- General People's Committee of LibyaGeneral People's Committee of LibyaThe General People's Committee , often abbreviated as the GPCO, acted as secretaries for various Libyan ministries during the era of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya...
- List of heads of government of Libya
- List of state leaders