Libya court sentences Gadhafi son to death for 2011 killings

Associated Press

ESAM MOHAMED 12 minutes ago

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — A court in Libya's capital convicted a son of Moammar Gadhafi of murder and inciting genocide during the country's 2011 uprising on Tuesday, sentencing him to death in absentia.

The Tripoli court that sentenced Seif al-Islam, who is being held by a militia that refuses to hand him over to the central government, also sentenced to death eight others, including former Libyan spy chief Abdullah al-Senoussi, who is in government custody.

It was unclear whether the sentences in the mass trial of 38 Gadhafi-era figures, only 29 of whom were present, would be carried out. Six others were sentenced to life in prison and four were cleared of charges.

Libya has slid into chaos since the overthrow and killing of Gadhafi. It is now bitterly divided between an elected parliament and government cornered in the country's east, with little power on the ground, and an Islamist militia-backed government in the west that has seized Tripoli.

Since the end of the civil war, Seif al-Islam has been held by a militia in Zintan, which is allied with the Tobruk-based internationally recognized government against the Tripoli one. He is also wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity.

During the trial, Seif al-Islam was accused of recruiting mercenaries who were given Libyan nationality, planning and carrying out attacks on civilian targets from the air, forming armed groups and shooting into crowds of demonstrators. Among the charges he was convicted of were incitement of murder and rape.

Hundreds of militias in Libya are battling for power and turf in a lawless environment has allowed human traffickers and kidnappers to flourish.

The U.N. envoy for Libya, meanwhile, has urged the Islamist-led government in Tripoli to sign a peace deal that would establish a unity government. Members of the Tobruk government and regional leaders signed the unity accord in Morocco on July 11.

Also sentenced to death were foreign intelligence chief Abu-Zeid Omar-Dawarda and Gadhafi's former Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi.

At the same time, Obama said the world needed to "recognise Africa's extraordinary progress".

"A half century into this independence era, it is long past time to put aside old stereotypes of an Africa forever mired in poverty and conflict," the president said.

Obama said the United States was a trusted partner of the continent, and took a veiled swipe at resource-hungry China -- which has massively stepped up its presence on the continent, symbolised by the Chinese-built AU headquarters where he gave the speech.

"Economic relationships cannot simply be about other countries building infrastructure with foreign labour, or extracting Africa's natural resources," Obama said.

"Real economic partnerships have to be a good deal for Africa. They have to create jobs and capacity for Africans. That's the kind of partnership America offers."

Obama said the United States also stood with Africa to defeat terrorism and end conflict, warning that the continent's progress will "depend on security and peace".

"As Africa stands against terror and conflict, I want you to know the United States stands with you," he said, highlighting threats ranging from Somalia's Shebab, Boko Haram in Nigeria, insurgents in Mali and Tunisia, and the Uganda-led Lord's Resistance Army rebels in central Africa.

Obama said the United States was backing AU military efforts and saluted the "brave African peacekeepers" battling militants.

"Many of these groups claim the banner of religion, but hundreds of millions of African Muslims know that Islam means peace. We must call groups like Al-Qaeda, ISIL (Islamic State), Al-Shebab and Boko Haram, we must call them what they are -— murderers

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