One of the sons of Libya’s late leader Muammar Qaddafi, Saadi Qaddafi, who is currently a fugitive in Niger told Al Arabiya late Friday that there is a growing uprising in the country and that he is communicating with many groups as well as members of the Libyan National Transitional Council.

“There will be an uprising in most of the areas of the republic … I see it growing every day, there will be a big uprising,” Saadi Qaddafi said in an eight-minute phone interview

“There will be a great uprising in the south, in the east, in the center and in the west. All the regions of Libya will witness this new popular uprising,” Qaddafi added.

Qaddafi, who described the situation as unsatisfactory for 70 percent of Libyans, said that he he is in touch, almost on a daily basis, with many tribes, militias and people in the transitional council.

“The Libyan people are governed by gangs, and people must work to eradicate militias,” he said, adding “there is a great tension in the country and there are weapons everywhere.”

“The NTC is not a legitimate body ... and is not in control of the militias.”

He also urged those preparing to participate in the upcoming uprising to sit down and talk and not seek any bloodshed.

Asked if he is planning to return to Libya, he said his return is inevitable and can be at any second. He said he aims to stop revenge operations.

He urged people in power in Libya to repent and to stop steaing money. He also said that Libya is a Muslim country and that there is no need for a divisive party system or elections.

The transitional government appointed in November is leading Libya to elections in June after last year’s uprising but is struggling to restore services and impose order on a myriad armed groups.

The fugitive son was a businessman and former football player. In 2011, he was the commander of Libya’s Special Forces and was involved in the Libyan civil war.

He was granted asylum by Niger on humanitarian grounds despite Interpol issuing his arrest warrant.






AL ARABIYA