Also known as: Colonel Muammar Gaddafi · Col Muammar Gaddafi
Former Libyan leader whose 2011 overthrow marked a turning point for Libya's governance and foreign relations.
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The Namibian
Muammar Gaddafi understood that African fragmentation was the continuation of colonial logic
“Gaddafi understood that African fragmentation was not accidental.”
China, the West, Gaddafi and the Crisis of African OrderThe Namibian
Col Muammar Gaddafi ruled Libya from 1969 until being ousted and killed in 2011
“Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was long seen as the most influential and feared figure in the country after his father, who ruled Libya from 1969 until being ousted and killed during an uprising in 2011.”
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of ex-Libyan leader, reportedly shot deadAn opinion piece argues that while foreign powers do pursue their interests in Africa, the deeper problem is Africa's lack of disciplined structures, weak institutions, and fragmented leadership that allow resources to be negotiated away, and that Africa must stop waiting for rescue and instead build order.
19 May 2026 · The Namibian →
An opinion piece argues that while foreign powers do pursue their interests in Africa, the deeper problem is Africa's lack of disciplined structures, weak institutions, and fragmented leadership that allow resources to be negotiated away, and that Africa must stop waiting for rescue and instead build order.
19 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Four years after being brought to the High Court in 2022, the battle over the Paramount Chief position of the Ovaherero remains unsettled. Ovitoto chief Vipuira Kapuuo, chairman of the Ovaherero Traditional Authority's Chiefs' Council, contends that customary law dictates the council chairman becomes acting paramount chief upon the death of the incumbent; he is seeking a court order to declare himself acting paramount chief and to nullify a December 2021 meeting where academic Mutjinde Katjiua was elected paramount chief.
18 May 2026 · New Era →
Captain Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a 2021 coup, declared that democracy "kills" and said Burkina Faso must abandon it in favour of an unspecified alternative approach. The junta leader, who broke a pledge to restore elections by July 2024, has dissolved political parties, suppressed dissent, and extended his rule for five additional years.
3 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Libya granted oil exploration and production licences to foreign energy companies including Chevron and BP on Wednesday, marking the first such awards since Muammar Gaddafi's 2011 overthrow, though only five of 20 blocks offered received bids. Analysts attributed the limited response to concerns over Libya's political division and security risks.
13 February 2026 · New Era →
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has allegedly been killed in western Libya, according to his political advisor and lawyer. Circumstances around his death remain unclear.
4 February 2026 · New Era →
Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the 53-year-old son of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has reportedly been shot dead at his home in Zintan, according to his political team's head, though conflicting reports suggest he may have died near Algeria's border. He was once considered his father's heir apparent and played a key role in Libya's rapprochement with the West before the regime's collapse in 2011.
4 February 2026 · The Namibian →