Abdelhakim Belhaj, a former Islamist fighter, has returned to Libya after years of self-imposed exile in Qatar. Belhaj arrived in Tripoli on Thursday night and was welcomed by an array of military convoys which accompanied him to his place of residence for protection. Belhaj’s surprise return sparked controversy in Libya with many view the move as a sign of escalation since the Islamist fighter is known for being a notorious member the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), a terrorist group which has had ties to Al-Qaeda. The Islamist leader, who spent decades of his life fighting for an internationally designated terrorist group, urged Libyan parties to disassociate themselves from “ideological interests”. The fighter then into politics, launching Al-Watan Party ahead of the 2012 parliamentary elections, in which the party failed to win any seats.

Source: Libya Today April 23, 2022 13:12 UTC