Massoud Abdelhafid

Massoud Abdelhafid
Birth name	Massoud Abdelhafid Ahmed
Nickname(s)	Mr. Chad
Allegiance	Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Service / branch	Libyan Army
Rank	General officer
Battles / wars	Chadian-Libyan conflict First Libyan Civil War

Massoud Abdelhafid (Arabic: مسعود عبد الحافظ, romanized: Masʿūd ʻAbd al-Ḥafīẓ) is a Libyan retired army general during the government of Muammar Gaddafi. He held various major positions in the government following the 1969 coup d'etat of Muammar Gaddafi, including Commander of Military Security,[1] Governor of Fezzan[2][3] and Head of Security in Major Cities.[4] He was a key figure in Libya and played a major role in building relations with neighboring countries Chad and Sudan.[5] Massoud Abdelhafid was a senior commander in the Libyan Army during the Chadian–Libyan conflict.[6] Known for his leadership of Libyan-backed insurrections and wars in Chad, he was referred to as "Mr. Chad".[2] He played many major roles in the military and the government throughout the Jamahiriya. He married the sister of Ahmad Gaddaf-Al Dam.

2011 Libyan civil war

The United Nations Security Council drafted a resolution naming 23 senior Libyan officials in the regime of Muammar Gaddafi to be sanctioned. The resolution, which included travel bans and asset freezes, named Massoud Abdelhafid.[7]

Following the defection of Abdul Fatah Younis, Gaddafi designated Abdelhafid as interior minister.[8] General Massoud Abdelhafid led the pro-Gaddafi forces in the city of Sabha during the Battle of Sabha and the Fezzan campaign.[2]

Abdelhafid was reported to have fled to Egypt alongside Interior Minister Nassr al-Mabrouk Abdullah.[9]

Notes

1. Black, CR: Deterring Libya, the Strategic Culture of Muammar Qaddafi, Page 11, The Counter Proliferation Papers, Air University, 2000.
2. Sherlock, Ruth; Spencer, Richard (10 September 2011). "All eyes on the desert as the hunt for Gaddafi continues". Telegraph.co.uk. Tripoli.
3. "The Right of Peoples to Self-Determination". The National Council of Tibesti. 2004. Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2019-05-15.
4. "Gaddafi Security Clan".
5. Africa Energy Intelligence: Libya-Chad, Tidjani Thiam, Indigo Publications, 2001.
6. Correau L (2008). "RFI - 1977-79 La conquête du Nord, Habré à N'Djamena (The conquest of the North, Habre in N'Djamena)". RFI. translated link.
7. Benhorin, Yitzhak (26 February 2011). "UN draft sanctions names 23 Libyan officials". ynet.
8. "Ansamed". March 2011. Retrieved 2016-01-12.^[dead link‍]
9. "Preparing for Post-Gadhafi Libya". Politeía Digest. 22 August 2011.