A Facebook post by the son of General Khalifa Haftar gives new dimension to recent events, as it appears to exempt our country from yesterday’s diplomatic incident in Benghazi. Specifically, Siddig Haftar made a surprise visit today to the home of the Greek family of Kanakis Mandalios, in order to show his grief for the loss of their children in the 2023 Derna floods. According to sources, Mr. Mandalios informed the Greek consul that the son of the Eastern Libya leader assured him that what happened yesterday, with the visit of European Commissioner for Migration Affairs, Markus Brunner and the relevant ministers of Greece, Italy and Malta, “is not connected to Greece.”
Libya: What happened with Haftar’s son
Later in his post, Khalifa Haftar’s son refers to the visit to Mr. Mandalios, noting: “A touching moment of faith: Dr. Siddig Haftar consoles the Mandalios family in their grief and anxiety: The sacrifice remains in our conscience. Dr. Siddig Khalifa Haftar, President of the Supreme Commission for National Reconciliation, made a humanitarian visit to the family of the late Angeliki and Filippos Mandalios, who died in the Derna flood disaster.”
“During the visit, he presented a commemorative shield with words of faith that embody the depth of the sense of belonging and sacrifice represented by Angeliki, who worked silently and loved Libya with sincerity. The father of the victims, who chose to remain in Libya despite his suffering, expressed his deep gratitude for Dr. Haftar’s visit, considering it a true embodiment of the spirit of faith and solidarity, and a message that his country continues to embrace their memories with great appreciation. This humanitarian gesture was not simply a tribute, but rather a confirmation that Derna does not forget those who stood with her in moments of sacrifice, and that Libya, with its open wounds, continues to beat with the highest concepts of gratitude and humanity,” he writes in his post. A move that was far from coincidental the day after the diplomatic incident.
