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Safia Farkash

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Safia Farkash
First LadyofLibya
In role
10 September 1970 – 20 October 2011
LeaderMuammar Gaddafi
Preceded byFathia Nuri
Succeeded byNo Data
First Lady of African Union
In office
2 February 2009 – 31 January 2010
PresidentMuammar Gaddafi
Preceded bySalma Kikwete
Succeeded byCallista Chimombo
Personal details
Born(1952-05-02)2 May 1952(age 72)
Bayda,Libya
Spouse
​
​
(m.1970; died 2011)​
Children7
RelativesFatima Farkash (sister)
Abdullah Senussi(brother-in-law)
Occupationbusinesswoman, politician

Safia Farkash Gaddafi(Arabic:صفية فركاش القذافي,born 2 May 1952) is a Libyan businesswoman. She is the widow of former Libyan leaderMuammar Gaddafi,formerFirst LadyofLibyaandRepresentativeofSirte,and mother of seven of Gaddafi's eight biological children, some of whom participated in theirfamily's regime.

Early life[edit]

There are two different stories about her origin. One is that Farkash is from a family from the Eastern Libyan Barasa tribe and that she was born inBaydaand was trained as a nurse.[1]

The other story is that Farkash is fromMostar,Bosnia and Herzegovina,where she was born as "Zsófia Farkas"[2][3][4]toHungarianparents.[a][5][2]

Personal life[edit]

She met Gaddafi when he was hospitalised and treated forappendicitisin 1970.[6]She became his second wife when they married in Tripoli during the same year.[7][8][9]

Farkash has seven biological children with Gaddafi and two adopted children:

  • 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 theBulgarian nurseshad been tortured. They later reconciled.[10]
  • Al-Saadi Gaddafi(born 25 May 1973), was a professionalfootball player.On 22 August 2011, he was allegedly arrested by theNational Liberation Army.[11]This turned out to be incorrect. In the late evening of 22 August 2011, he spoke with members of the international press.[12]On 30 August, a seniorNational Transitional Councilofficial 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.[13]
  • Mutassim Gaddafi(18 December 1974 – 20 October 2011), Gaddafi's fourth son, was a lieutenant colonel in theLibyan Army.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 after thebattle of Sirte.[14]
  • Hannibal Muammar Gaddafi(born 20 September 1976),[15][16]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).[17]In 2008, he was charged with assaulting two staff inSwitzerland,and was imprisoned by Swiss police. The arrest created astrong standoffbetween Libya and Switzerland.[18]
  • Ayesha Gaddafi(born 25 December 1977),[19]Farkash's only biological daughter, is a lawyer who joined the defense teams of executed former Iraqi leaderSaddam Husseinand Iraqi journalistMuntadhar al-Zaidi.[7]In 2006, she married a cousin of her father's,Ahmed al-Gaddafi al-Qahsi,with whom she has four children (as of 2011).[20]Two of her children were killed byNATOairstrikes (one with her brotherSaif al-Arab Gaddafion 30 April 2011 and the other with her husbandAhmed al-Gaddafi al-Qahsi26 July 2011). She gave birth to her fourth child in Algeria on 30 August 2011 in Algeria after the death of her husband and two children.
  • Saif al-Arab Gaddafi(1982 – 30 April 2011) was appointed a military commander in theLibyan Armyduring theLibyan Civil War.Saif al-Arab and three of Farkash'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.[21]
  • Khamis Gaddafi(27 May 1983 – 29 August 2011), her sixth son, who was serving as the commander of the Libyan Army's eliteKhamis Brigade.On 30 August 2011, a spokesman for theNational Transitional Councilsaid it was "almost certain" Khamis had been killed inTarhunaduring clashes with units of theNational Liberation Army.[22]

She and Gaddafi are rumored to have adopted two children, Hanna and Milad.[23][24]

  • Hana Muammar Gaddafi[25](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 USbombing raidsin 1986.[26][27]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.[28]Following the taking by rebels of the family residence in theBab al-Aziziacompound in Tripoli,The New York Timesboth reported evidence (complete with photographs) of Hana'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.[29]However, a Libyan official told theDaily Telegraphthat Gaddafi adopted a second daughter and named her Hana in honour of the first one who was killed.[30]

The family's main residence was in theBab al-Aziziamilitarybarracks,located in the southern suburbs of Tripoli.

Business and other interests[edit]

Farkash kept a low profile during the initial period of her marriage to Gaddafi; however, after the release on license ofLockerbie bomberAbdul Baset Ali al-Megrahiin 2009, she took a more public profile. Farkash owns airlineBuraq Air,headquartered atMittiga International Airport.[1]

Libyan Civil War[edit]

Main article:2011 Libyan Civil War

Farkash stayed with her husband and family through theLibyan Civil War,at their home in Tripoli. After a first round ofUnited Nationssanctions froze the overseas assets of Libya and those personally held by Gaddafi, the governments ofFranceand theUnited Kingdomenabled a second round of sanctions, which froze an estimated £18 billion of state and personal assets controlled by Farkash.[31]In May 2011, she gave her first press interview toCNNreporterNima Elbagir,via mobile telephone.[32]

As theBattle for Tripolireached a climax in mid-August, the family were forced to abandon their fortified compound. On 27 August 2011, it was reported by theEgyptiannews agencyMenathat Libyan rebel fighters had seen six armouredMercedes-Benzsedans, possibly carrying top Gaddafi regime figures, cross the border at the south-western Libyan town ofGhadamestowardsAlgeria,[33]which at the time was denied by the Algerian authorities. On 29 August, theAlgerian governmentofficially announced that Safia together with daughter Ayesha and sons Muhammad and Hannibal, had crossed into Algeria early on 29 August.[33][34]An Algerian Foreign Ministry official said all the people in the convoy were now inAlgiers.The family had arrived at aSahara desertentry point, in a Mercedes and a bus at 08:45. The number of people in the party was unconfirmed, but there were "many children" and they did not include 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.[35]In October 2012 they left a hideaway in Algeria to go toOman,where they were grantedpolitical asylum.[36]

Sanctions[edit]

The central bank of theUnited Arab Emiratesordered in March 2012 all banks and financial institutions in the country to freeze the accounts of Safia Farkash and other high-ranking officials of the Gaddafi regime.[37]This order was declared in accordance with theUN Security Council's Resolution No. 1970of 2011, addressing fifteen Libyans whose bank accounts had been frozen for their involvement in violence against the people of Libya.[37]In April 2016, she was allowed to return to Libya by the government as part of their efforts to pacify Gaddafi loyalists.[38]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^"Farkas", meaning "wolf", is a common Hungarian family name. "Brassai" is another common Hungarian family name, meaning "someone fromBrassó"

References[edit]

  1. ^ab"Libya's first lady owns 20 tons of gold".Al Arabiya. 6 March 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 9 March 2011.Retrieved29 August2011.
  2. ^ab"Budapest Report – Gaddafi's wife revealed to be Hungarian".Budapest Report. 18 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 25 April 2011.Retrieved20 October2011.
  3. ^"Word View from Off the Strip – Gaddafi's wife Safiya".Word View from Off the Strip. 25 February 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 21 December 2012.Retrieved20 October2011.
  4. ^"Aus Zsófia Farkas wurdeSafiya al-Barassi al-Gaddafi".Journal. 16 July 2011.Retrieved22 October2011.
  5. ^"Gaddafi Could Seek Refuge in Croatia or Serbia? Not Likely".Isa Intel. 29 August 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 30 March 2012.Retrieved22 October2011.
  6. ^"United Nations - SC/10541".Archivedfrom the original on 1 August 2013.Retrieved29 June2017.
  7. ^abCharkow, Ryab (22 February 2011)."Moammar Gadhafi and his family".CBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 18 October 2012.Retrieved22 February2011.
  8. ^"Mandela hails South Africa election results".CNN. 6 June 1999.Archivedfrom the original on 25 October 2012.Retrieved28 February2011.
  9. ^"OMG: Gaddafi's Wife is Hungarian! - Pestiside.hu".Archived fromthe originalon 23 April 2011.Retrieved29 August2011.
  10. ^"Libya's Gaddaffi Angry with His Son for Admitting Torture of Bulgarian Nurses".The Sofia Echo. 13 August 2007.Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2012.Retrieved1 September2011.
  11. ^Waxman, Sharon (21 August 2011)."Saadi Gadhafi, Hollywood Investor and Dictator's Son, Arrested".Reuters.Archivedfrom the original on 16 August 2016.Retrieved1 September2011.
  12. ^Ryan, Missy (23 August 2011)."Gaddafi son Saif at Tripoli hotel after arrest report".Reuters.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2016.Retrieved1 September2011.
  13. ^"Gaddafi's son 'ready to surrender'".Al Jazeera English. 30 August 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 1 September 2011.Retrieved1 September2011.
  14. ^"Libya 20 October 2011|Al Jazeera Blogs".Archivedfrom the original on 16 March 2012.Retrieved20 October2011.
  15. ^"Gaddafi's son reveals details about his abduction from Syria – Middle East Monitor".Archivedfrom the original on 4 February 2022.Retrieved4 February2022.
  16. ^"INTERPOL issues global alert following threat identified in UN sanctions resolution targeting Libya's Colonel Al-Qadhafi and others".Interpol.4 March 2011. p. 3. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 23 December 2012.Retrieved1 September2011.
  17. ^Bremner, Charles (4 February 2005)."Hannibal gives Gaddafi a bad name".The Times.London.Archivedfrom the original on 29 June 2011.Retrieved13 May2010.
  18. ^Tages-Anzeiger,17 August 2009Archived8 July 2019 at theWayback Machine;The Australian,17 August 2009Archived2 August 2014 at theWayback Machine.
  19. ^"Archived copy".Archivedfrom the original on 30 March 2021.Retrieved13 December2023.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ^Elizabeth Flock (30 August 2011)."Aisha Gaddafi gives birth to baby girl hours after fleeing to Algeria".Washington Postblogs.Archivedfrom the original on 11 May 2015.Retrieved8 April2015.
  21. ^"Qaddafi Is Said to Survive NATO Airstrike That Kills Son"The New York Times30 April 2011[1]Archived1 August 2017 at theWayback Machine
  22. ^"Gaddafi son Khamis, spy chief believed dead: rebels".Reuters.30 August 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 6 March 2016.Retrieved1 September2011.
  23. ^"Saif al-Islam al-Gaddafi v.The Daily Telegraph".21 August 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 18 January 2013.Retrieved9 August2008.
  24. ^The Gaddafi family treeArchived18 April 2016 at theWayback Machine,BBC News, 21 February 2011
  25. ^name spelling per English language class certificate shown in reference
  26. ^"See Accuracy in Media article here".Archived fromthe originalon 12 August 2019.Retrieved29 August2011.
  27. ^Wong, Curtis (9 August 2011)."Hana Gaddafi, Libyan Leader's Presumed Dead Daughter, May Be Still Alive: Reports".HuffPost.Archivedfrom the original on 30 September 2011.Retrieved1 September2011.
  28. ^"Dental records for Hana Gaddafi reopen mystery of Libyan leader's daughter".Feb17.info. 12 August 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 19 January 2012.Retrieved11 September2011.
  29. ^Anthony Shadid (27 August 2011). "Enigmatic in Power, Qaddafi Is Elusive at Large".The New York Times.
  30. ^"Dental Records for Hanna Gaddafi reopen mystery of Muammar Gaddafi's daughter".The Daily Telegraph.London. 12 August 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 31 August 2011.Retrieved30 August2011.
  31. ^"Britain seeks UN help to target Gaddafi wife's £18bn".This Is London. 19 April 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 24 November 2011.Retrieved29 August2011.
  32. ^CNN: First Interview with Gaddafi's Wife Safia |Archived5 August 2011 at theWayback Machine
  33. ^abHarding, Luke; Chulov, Martin; Stephen, Chris (29 August 2011)."Gaddafi's family escape Libya net to cross into Algeria".The Guardian.London.Archivedfrom the original on 19 November 2012.Retrieved29 August2011.
  34. ^"Libya conflict: Gaddafi family 'flee to Algeria'".BBC News. 29 August 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 30 August 2011.Retrieved29 August2011.
  35. ^Fahim, Kareem; MacFarquhar, Neil (29 August 2011)."Qaddafi's Wife and 3 of His Children Flee to Algeria".The Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on 28 October 2011.Retrieved29 August2011.
  36. ^"Muammar Gaddafi's Daughter Thrown Out of Algeria After Starting Fires in Safe House".Time.3 April 2013.Archivedfrom the original on 4 January 2023.Retrieved4 January2023.
  37. ^abHaider, Haseeb (9 March 2012)."UAE freezes bank accounts of Gaddafi's wife, aide".Khaleej Times.Archivedfrom the original on 3 April 2012.Retrieved23 July2012.
  38. ^Freeman, Colin (13 October 2016)."Gaddafi's widow allowed back to Libya as part of 'reconciliation' drive".The Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 11 May 2016.Retrieved9 May2016.
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