Safia Farkash
Encyclopedia
Safia Farkash is the widow of the former Libya
n leader Muammar Gaddafi
, and mother of seven of his eight biological children. Her independent wealth is reported at US$30Bn.
, Bosnia-Hercegovina and has Croat and Hungarian origin.
in 1971. She became his second wife when they married in Tripoli during the same year.
He is also said to have adopted two children, Hanna and Milad.
The family's main residence was in the Bab al-Azizia
military barracks
, located in the southern suburbs of Tripoli.
In 2008, Farkash was elected vice president to the African First Ladies Organization in a meeting of African Union
leaders in Sharm al-Sheikh, even though she was not present at the meeting, and has never taken part in activities related to it.
Farkash owns airline Buraq Air
, headquartered at Mittiga International Airport. Operated with the approval of her husband, even though it is a rival of the Libyan national carrier, it monopolizes the transfer of Libyan Hajj
pilgrims to Mecca
.
It is estimated that Farkash’s has an independent wealth of US$30Bn, which includes 20 tons of gold.
, at their home in Tripoli. After a first round of United Nations
sanctions froze the overseas assets of Libya and those personally held by Gaddafi, the governments of France
and the United Kingdom
enabled a second round of sanctions, which froze an estimated £18Bn of state and personal assets control by Farkash. In May 2011, she gave her first press interview to CNN
reporter Nima Elbagir
, via mobile telephone.
As the Battle for Tripoli
reached a climax in mid-August, the family were forced to abandon their fortified compound. On 27 August, it was reported by the Egypt
ian news agency Mena that Libyan rebel fighters had seen six armoured Mercedes-Benz
sedans, possibly carrying top Gaddafi regime figures, cross the border at the south-western Libyan town of Ghadames
towards Algeria
, which at the time was denied by the Algerian authorities. On 29 August, the Algerian government officially announced that Safia together with daughter Ayesha and sons Muhammad and Hannibal, had crossed into Algeria early on 29 August. An Algerian Foreign Ministry official said all the people in the convoy were now in Algiers
, and that none of them had been named in warrants issued by the International Criminal Court
for possible war crimes charges. Mourad Benmehidi
, the Algerian permanent representative to the United Nations
, later confirmed the details of the statement. The family had arrived at a Sahara desert entry point, in a Mercedes and a bus at 8:45 a.m. local time. The exact number of people in the party was unconfirmed, but there were “many children” and they did not include Colonel Gaddafi. Resultantly the group was allowed in on humanitarian grounds, and the Algerian government had since informed the head of the Libyan National Transitional Council, who had made no official request for their return.
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....
n leader 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...
, and mother of seven of his eight biological children. Her independent wealth is reported at US$30Bn.
Early life
There are two different theories about her origin. Farkash, from a family from Barasa tribe from Eastern Libya, was born in Bayda and was trained as a nurse. According to others Safia (née Zsófia Farkas) was born in MostarMostar
Mostar is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the largest and one of the most important cities in the Herzegovina region and the center of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation. Mostar is situated on the Neretva river and is the fifth-largest city in the country...
, Bosnia-Hercegovina and has Croat and Hungarian origin.
Personal life
She met Gaddafi when he was hospitalised and treated for appendicitisAppendicitis
Appendicitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of the appendix. It is classified as a medical emergency and many cases require removal of the inflamed appendix, either by laparotomy or laparoscopy. Untreated, mortality is high, mainly because of the risk of rupture leading to...
in 1971. She became his second wife when they married in Tripoli during the same year.
Children
The couple have seven biological children of their own, one stepson from Gaddafi's first marriage, and two adopted children:- Muhammad Gaddafi (born 1970), his eldest son, was the only child born to Gaddafi's first wife, and ran the Libyan Olympic Committee. On 21 August 2011, during what appears to be the endgameBattle 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...
of the 2011 Libyan civil war2011 Libyan civil warThe 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...
, rebel forces of National Transitional CouncilNational Transitional CouncilThe National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
claimed to have accepted Muhammad's surrender as they overtook into TripoliTripoliTripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
. This was later confirmed when he gave a phone interview to Al JazeeraAl JazeeraAl Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
, saying that he surrendered to the rebels and has been treated well. However, Muhammad escaped with the aid of remaining loyalist forces the next day.
- Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (born 25 June 1972), her eldest son, was an architect who was long-rumored to be Gaddafi's successor. He has been a spokesman to the Western world, and he has negotiated treaties with Italy and the United States. He was viewed as politically moderate, and in 2006, after criticizing his father's government, he briefly left Libya. In 2007, Gaddafi exchanged angry letters with his son regarding his son's statements admitting the Bulgarian nursesHIV trial in LibyaThe HIV trial in Libya concerns the trials, appeals and eventual release of six foreign medical workers charged with conspiring to deliberately infect over 400 children with HIV in 1998, causing an epidemic at El-Fatih Children's Hospital in Benghazi, Libya.The defendants were a Palestinian...
had been tortured.
- Al-Saadi Gaddafi (born 25 May 1973), was a professional football player. On 22 August 2011, he was allegedly arrested by the National Liberation Army. This turned out to be incorrect. In the late evening of 22 August 2011 he spoke with members of the international press. On 30 August, a senior National Transitional CouncilNational Transitional CouncilThe National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
official claimed that Al-Saadi Gaddafi had made contact to discuss the terms of his surrender, indicating also that he would wish to remain in Libya.
- Hannibal Muammar GaddafiHannibal Muammar GaddafiHannibal Muammar Gaddafi is the fourth son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife, Safia Farkash.-Biography:Gaddafi started his maritime career by joining the Marine Academy of Maritime Studies/Libya in 1993 as a Deck Cadet...
(born 20 September 1975), was an employee of the General National Maritime Transport Company, a company that specialized in oil exports. He is most-known for his violent incidents in Europe, attacking police officers in Italy (2001), drunk driving (2004), and for assaulting his girlfriend in Paris (2005). In 2008, he was charged with assaulting two staff in Switzerland, and was imprisoned by Swiss police. The arrest created a strong standoff between Libya and Switzerland.
- Ayesha Gaddafi (born 1976), Gaddafi's only biological daughter, is a lawyer who joined the defense teams of executed former Iraqi leader Saddam HusseinSaddam HusseinSaddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
and Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-ZaidiMuntadhar al-ZaidiMuntadhar al-Zaidi is an Iraqi broadcast journalist who served as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Bagh. , al-Zaidi works with a Lebanese TV channel....
. She is married to a cousin of her father.
- Mutassim Gaddafi (23 November 1977 – 20 October 2011), Gaddafi's fifth son, was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Libyan ArmyLibyan ArmyIn 2009 the IISS estimated that the Ground Forces of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya numbered 25,000 with an additional, estimated, 25,000 conscripts...
. He later served as Libya's National Security Advisor. He was seen as a possible successor to his father, after Saif al-Islam. Mutassim was killed along with his father during the battle of SirteBattle of Sirte (2011)The Battle of Sirte was a battle of the 2011 Libyan civil war that began when the National Liberation Army attacked forces loyal to ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi in his hometown and designated capital of Sirte, on the Gulf of Sidra...
.
- Saif al-Arab Gaddafi (1982 – 30 April 2011) was appointed a military commander in the Libyan ArmyLibyan ArmyIn 2009 the IISS estimated that the Ground Forces of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya numbered 25,000 with an additional, estimated, 25,000 conscripts...
during the 2011 Libyan civil war2011 Libyan civil warThe 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...
. Saif al-Arab and three of Gaddafi's grandchildren were reported killed by a NATO bombing in April 2011. Like the death of Hanna, this is disputed by the organizations alleged to be responsible.
- Khamis Gaddafi (27 May 1983 – 29 August 2011), his seventh son, who was serving as the commander of the Libyan Army's elite Khamis BrigadeKhamis BrigadeThe Khamis Brigade, formally the 32nd Reinforced Brigade of the Armed People, was a special forces brigade of the Libyan military loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the de-facto leader of Libya since 1969...
. On 30 August 2011, a spokesman for the National Transitional CouncilNational Transitional CouncilThe National Transitional Council of Libya , sometimes known as the Transitional National Council, the Interim National Council, or the Libyan National Council,...
said it was "almost certain" Khamis Gaddafi had been killed in Tarhuna during clashes with units of the National Liberation Army.
He is also said to have adopted two children, Hanna and Milad.
- Hanna Moammar Gadafi (claimed by Gaddafi to be his adopted daughter, but most facts surrounding this claim are disputed) was apparently killed at the age of four, during the retaliatory US bombing raids in 1986. She may not have died; the adoption may have been posthumous; or he may have adopted a second daughter and given her the same name after the first one died. Following the taking by rebels of the family residence in the Bab al-AziziaBab al-AziziaBab al-Azizia was a military barracks and compound, situated in the southern suburbs of Tripoli, the capital of Libya. It served as the main base for the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi until its capture by anti-Gaddafi rebels on 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli in the Libyan...
compound in Tripoli, The New York Times both reported evidence (complete with photographs) of Hanna's life after her declared death, when she became a doctor and worked in a Tripoli hospital. Her passport was reported as showing a birth date of 11 November 1985, making her six months old at the time of the US raid. However, a Libyan official told the Daily Telegraph that Gaddafi adopted a second daughter and named her Hanna in honor of the first one who was killed.
The family's main residence was in the Bab al-Azizia
Bab al-Azizia
Bab al-Azizia was a military barracks and compound, situated in the southern suburbs of Tripoli, the capital of Libya. It served as the main base for the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi until its capture by anti-Gaddafi rebels on 23 August 2011, during the Battle of Tripoli in the Libyan...
military barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
, located in the southern suburbs of Tripoli.
Business and other interests
Farkash kept a low profile during the initial period of her marriage to Gaddafi. However, after the release on license of Lockerbie bomber Abdul Baset Ali al-Megrahi in 2009, she took a more public profile. She organised a party covered by the local media to celebrate the anniversary of the 1969 revolution that brought her husband to power, and in 2010 attended the graduation of female police students.In 2008, Farkash was elected vice president to the African First Ladies Organization in a meeting of African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
leaders in Sharm al-Sheikh, even though she was not present at the meeting, and has never taken part in activities related to it.
Farkash owns airline Buraq Air
Buraq Air
Buraq Air is an airline with its headquarters on the grounds of Mitiga International Airport in Tripoli, Libya. It operates scheduled domestic and international services to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Buraq also operates passenger and cargo charter services and flights in support of...
, headquartered at Mittiga International Airport. Operated with the approval of her husband, even though it is a rival of the Libyan national carrier, it monopolizes the transfer of Libyan Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
pilgrims to Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
.
It is estimated that Farkash’s has an independent wealth of US$30Bn, which includes 20 tons of gold.
2011 Libyan civil war
Safia stayed with her husband and family through the 2011 Libyan civil war2011 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...
, at their home in Tripoli. After a first round of United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
sanctions froze the overseas assets of Libya and those personally held by Gaddafi, the governments of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
enabled a second round of sanctions, which froze an estimated £18Bn of state and personal assets control by Farkash. In May 2011, she gave her first press interview to CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
reporter Nima Elbagir
Nima Elbagir
Nima Elbagir is an award-winning international television correspondent.Elbagir was nominated for three awards in her first year of television reporting. In February 2011,she joined CNN as a London-based international correspondent. In 2008, she picked up two Foreign Press Association Awards - TV...
, via mobile telephone.
As the Battle for Tripoli
Battle 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...
reached a climax in mid-August, the family were forced to abandon their fortified compound. On 27 August, it was reported by the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian news agency Mena that Libyan rebel fighters had seen six armoured Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
sedans, possibly carrying top Gaddafi regime figures, cross the border at the south-western Libyan town of Ghadames
Ghadames
Ghadames or Ghadamis is an oasis town in the Nalut District of the Fezzan region in southwestern Libya.-Geography:Ghadames lies roughly to the southwest of Tripoli, near the borders with Algeria and Tunisia. Ghadames borders Illizi Province, Algeria and Tataouine Governorate, Tunisia.The oasis...
towards Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, which at the time was denied by the Algerian authorities. On 29 August, the Algerian government officially announced that Safia together with daughter Ayesha and sons Muhammad and Hannibal, had crossed into Algeria early on 29 August. An Algerian Foreign Ministry official said all the people in the convoy were now in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, and that none of them had been named in warrants issued by the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
for possible war crimes charges. Mourad Benmehidi
Mourad Benmehidi
Mourad Benmehidi is the Permanent Representative to the United Nations for Algeria. He took office in August 2008. Benmehidi is married with three children.-Education:...
, the Algerian permanent representative to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, later confirmed the details of the statement. The family had arrived at a Sahara desert entry point, in a Mercedes and a bus at 8:45 a.m. local time. The exact number of people in the party was unconfirmed, but there were “many children” and they did not include Colonel Gaddafi. Resultantly the group was allowed in on humanitarian grounds, and the Algerian government had since informed the head of the Libyan National Transitional Council, who had made no official request for their return.