Zürcher Nachrichten - Son of Libya's Haftar vows to make up for 'lost years' under Gaddafi

After Gaddafi was killed during the 2011 revolution, Libya descended into civil war, splitting the country in half as the Haftar clan took power in the east.

The field marshal exercises tight security control in the area he rules and, now Belgacem, one of his six sons, heads a reconstruction programme and appears to be seeking to restore the clan's legitimacy.

Following the floods that swept through Derna in 2023, killing nearly 4,000 people, Belgacem became the figurehead for reconstruction efforts in the area.

Bridges, apartment blocks, schools and hospitals now rise in eastern Libya, which had long been marginalised under Gaddafi.

AFP journalists escorted by the Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Haftar saw dozens of construction sites in Benghazi, Derna and Bayda.

"Gaddafi governed Libya for 42 years, and he did not accomplish what we have in two years," Belgacem, 46, told AFP, seated in an office inside a lavish palace in Benghazi.

The oil-rich country remains divided between a UN-recognised government based in its capital, Tripoli, and the eastern administration in Benghazi backed by the Haftars.

The reconstruction fund was established in 2024 to rebuild Derna with a budget of some $2 billion at the time, before expanding into the Libya Development and Reconstruction Fund.

- Showcase -

Eastern Libya and most of the country's south are firmly controlled by Haftar and his sons.

Saddam Haftar, widely seen as his heir apparent, serves as deputy commander of the LNA, while another son, Khaled, is chief of staff.

Libya holds Africa's largest oil reserves at around 48.4 billion barrels, and areas controlled by the family contain most of the oil fields and export terminals.

The reconstruction fund has launched a wave of projects in areas under the control of the eastern administration, aiming to "make up for the lost years" of Gaddafi's reign, Belgacem said.

He said that since Gaddafi's overthrow, sectors such as education and healthcare as well as basic needs have been "completely neglected".

The Haftars' development push comes as they seek to showcase an ability to govern even beyond their areas of control, while the United States reportedly tries to promote a rapprochement between the country's rival authorities.

Responding to accusations that the Haftars are using the fund without oversight and of financial misconduct, Belgacem said: "The number and scale of the projects underway answer the question of where the money is being spent."

"The size of the projects and transparency are reflected in what we have achieved on the ground," he added.

He said every contract signed by the fund is currently "audited by the appropriate authorities" while all payments are processed through the central bank in Tripoli.

- 'Immense need' -

Libya has long faced repression and poverty, both during and after Gaddafi's rule.

Belgacem said the fund has "mended trust between citizens and the state by implementing projects that had been abandoned for years".

On Friday, Belgacem attended a rehearsal for an education sector celebration at Benghazi's newly built stadium.

After posing for selfies with parents and children, a young girl approached him carrying requests from her family on a small piece of paper.

Beyond areas already under the Haftars' control, the reconstruction fund could expand into western Libya, "if the authorities request it", Belgacem said.

He said the region housing the capital, Tripoli, and a large proportion of the Libyan population was in "immense need" for infrastructure.

But tensions between Belgacem and Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibah, who leads the Tripoli-based government, would need to ease off.

During the interview, Belgacem accused Dbeibah of having "carried out no project on the scale of the Libyan state in the last five years".

And Dbeibah has charged that the eastern administration has been spending off budget in the past three years.

Still, there have been signs of a potential shift.

Last month, the legislative bodies of the rival authorities signed a US-mediated agreement to unify public spending across the divided country for the first time in over a decade.

The deal included investments worth some 20 billion dinars ($3 billion) in western Libya, Belgacem told AFP.

A similar amount was also allocated to the east and south, where the fund seeks to develop further "strategic projects", he added.

D.Smith--NZN