"[9], In 2011, she strongly denounced the policies of U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. President Barack Obama, calling for a mediation of the Libyan Civil War through an international organization which would exclude them. His guard force and female soldiers were very much his eyes and ears in some ways equally important as the old-world male spy lords who enforced his police state. Gaddafi's private office was directed by Mabrouka al-Mashat, a loyalist of many years who tended to the family home and enjoyed her boss's patronage.
(Santiago Lyon/AP). Many have compared it to an ancient Celtic girls rites of passage. The 19-year-old spoke to the Guardian while being held prisoner after being captured by Gaddafi forces. In 2011, Dr Sergewa said: So far I have managed to convince eight women to step forward to testify and it has been difficult. They also want to start a family, A medical emergency inspired Mike Macharia to start Ponea, Kenyas revolutionary health platform that has raised $4M, How an e-scooter company partnered with a white-owned business for Black History Month by mistake, After making global headlines for acquiring stakes in Aston Villa, Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris cuts a $5.85 million deal with Vitoria Sport Clube, Womans pics land in erotic novel and breast reduction ads without her knowledge but its not illegal, heres why, From exclusive deals to thriving business empires, here are the highest-paid Black entertainers with combined earnings of $1.1 billion, Nigerian stars Burna Boy, Tems and Rema to headline 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend, How Auburn Avenue in Atlanta became known as the richest Negro street in the world, Highlighting Magema Magwaza Fuze, the first Zulu native to publish a book in Zulu language in 1922, The first African-born to play for Germany comes from Ghana, My fraternity has given over $350,000 in providing clean water for Ghana through my NGO, "I have no regrets" - Media personality Vanessa Gyan on moving from New York to Africa, Highlife musician Fameye on not chasing trends and making music for the people: Global Black Music. Batya () is the founder of Reaper Feed. And like much else in Gaddafi's Libya, the myth of glamour and steadfast devotion is at odds with a reality of ruthless control and illusion. In north Africa, they were admiringly dubbed Haris al-Has the private guards. According to reports, his bodyguards, in addition to being women, were chosen for being virgins. ", Tripoli living quarters belonging to Libya dictator's elite cadre reveals a picture of ruthless control and shattered lives, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Gaddafi with a couple of his private guards, known as Amazons, on a visit to Italy. The Gaddafi group includes the former leader's daughter Aisha, a lawyer who made headlines around the world with her campaigns on behalf of Saddam Hussein. We are going to make sure that every mother, the symbol of love and creation, is a bomb, a killing machine, government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said. WebGadhafis bodyguards have been put to the test more than once. Today, he creates a difficult character who, although guilty of countless evil deeds, was the only form of stability Libya had. Gaddafi would often travel with around 15 of his Amazonian Guards / Revolutionary Nuns who were either assigned to be his private security guards or those proficient in the art of homeownership were sent to look after Muammar Gaddafis palaces. After a brief confrontation between the bodyguards and the security guards, the furious Libyan leader was willing to go to the capital on foot. The team was started in the 1980s, a little over a decade after Gaddafi had seized power in a coup. Now, nearly three weeks after Tripoli fell, the dictator's ravaged compounds are finally shedding light on the enigmatic unit. [1] However, it has also been submitted by other authors that Gaddafi's female bodyguards were, in reality, just an aspect of the dictator's well-known eccentric showmanship and his fondness of surrounding himself with young women. Many women stated that they were either blackmailed to join the unit or were asked sexual favours in order to be selected. Soldiers, 4 Deadly Home Decor Ideas in War-Torn Liberia, Brutal Libyan Ambush Sends Enemy Vehicles Into a Death Roll. In one room, a designer desert boot lies next to a mangled wardrobe. Forget gentle parenting and discipline your 1-year-old, psychologist says. Elite troops died being sucked out of planes. Gaddafi is in Rome to mark the second annual Libyan-Italian friendship day on August 30 and he will meet Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for talks. Aisha, the woman who died, was his top bodyguard." Libya by then was one of the few countries in Africa that really enjoyed a good economy. She told the media for the first time that she had three full-time bodyguards.
His death was as barbaric and quintessential of the Libyan Civil War. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, surrounded by his female bodyguards, attends a meeting with female personalities in Paris, December 12, 2007. "We had three jobs," she explains. One was to get them to fearfully agree to join his cabal, probably as revolutionary nuns. By the time he died in 2011, more than half of university students were female. Aisha was set to be Gaddafis favorite Amazonian Guard and apparently threw herself across him to shield him from the bullets. During that trip, Gaddafi was meeting Hafiz al-Asad, the then-Syrian president. Along with the odd garment or shoe lying on a filthy floor, newspaper clippings of Arab leaders and pop stars are still pasted to one wall. They were all Gaddafi's ladies and ran the unit. Benghazi-based psychologist Seham Sergewahas collected the details for use by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating possible war crimes by Gaddafi and his associates. Two female body guards of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi wait at the door outside the conference hall in Cairo, Friday, Aug. 10, 1990. This theory of womens lives as prohibitive ethics for warring men was put to test in 1998. This application was opposed by the Prosecutor who stated that requiring her to disclose the requested information would intrude on prosecutorial independence and discretion and potentially impede the investigation itself.[17]. The Revolutionary Nuns used to wear army apparel. Gaddafis loyalty to his guards was proven when on a diplomatic visit to Nigeria in 2006. MUST READ: Gadhafi Is Dead: Which Tyrants are Left? [6], Gaddafi is also the head of the charity Wa Attassimou, which defended Muntadhar al-Zaidi when he faced charges stemming from the shoe-hurling incident.[14]. According to Joseph T. Stanik, Gaddafi reportedly employed a cadre of female bodyguards because he believed that an Arab gunman would have difficulty firing at women. In 1998, Gadhafis motorcade was ambushed. If we grant that the father knew his son, then we may ask how a son of very few words succeeded in commanding so much attention. If the content contained herein violates any of your rights, including those of copyright, and/or violates any the above mentioned factors, you are requested to immediately notify us using via the following email address operanews-external(at)opera.com and/or report the article using the available reporting functionality built into our Platform. Photograph: via the New York Times/Redux/eyevine, Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images, Interim prime minister makes first Tripoli appearance amid criticism of leadership and warnings of fresh revolt, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Qaddafi's Angels Guard the Libyan During Deal with France", "Girl guard dies saving Gaddafi in gun attack", "Desperately seeking Qaddafi's brigade of beautiful bodyguards", "Gaddafi's female bodyguards say they were raped, abused by the Libyan leader", "Libyan teen says Gadhafi's troops forced her to execute rebels", "Gaddafi's 'Amazonian' bodyguards' barracks quashes myth of glamour", Al-Gaddafi International Prize for Human Rights, Brotherly Leader and Guide of the Revolution, 40th anniversary of the Libyan Revolution, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amazonian_Guard&oldid=1143682568, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from March 2011, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Paramilitary law enforcement, counter insurgency, and, This page was last edited on 9 March 2023, at 07:09. They also had to take a vow of chastity, before starting the official training. The exact number of people in the party was unconfirmed, but there were many children and they did not include Colonel Gaddafi. They were also known in Europe as Amazons and in North Africa as Haris al-Has. Although many were coerced and abused, some women occupied elevated positions. All rights reserved. Thus, the Amazonian guard was formed. Frequently pictured with Gaddafi, in heavy make-up and military fatigues, the dictators female bodyguards have become synonymous with his political reign. "To support the male army, to do ceremonial things, like guarding. Take a look at some of the photos of some of the female bodyguards that Gaddafi had and don't forget to like and also share. Everything here has been looted or burned in recent weeks, and finding remnants of the girls in uniform is difficult. Shortly after arriving in Algeria they moved to Oman. Howa Tuergi and Judia Sudani also played prominent roles in broader Gaddafi affairs. "Go and find Salma Milad, Judia Sudani, Mabrouka al-Mashat or Howa Tuergi. We knew what would happen.". Torrence describes the women as usually dressed in western style fatigues, can wear makeup, western hairstyles, high heels, and other clothing not deemed acceptable in the Muslim world. They had to be around 20 years old, not married, beautiful, virgin. They were also able to join the police or become doctors, nurses, or engineers. They are afraid of getting killed by fundamentalists and sometimes family members. Aisha Gaddafi was hit with sanctions by the EU in 2011 after the United Nations placed her on a blacklist over the brutal repression of an uprising against her fathers regime. Search instead in Creative? It was claimed that the dead guard, Aisha, was Gaddafi's favourite and threw herself across Gaddafi's body to stop the bullets. Inside Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound, six low-set grey buildings with narrow slits for windows were where his private guards were based. Their tasks consisted of either security or housekeeping. The women who qualify for duty are required to be virgins and must be hand picked by Qaddafi himself.. If you are Libyan, or a believer in Gaddafi, you would ask how the Brotherly Leader gets women to be this bold. One, Nisrine Abdul Hadi, 19, says she was sent to join Gaddafi's army by her family in Bani Walid. In one case, a girl, around 18 or so, said she was raped in front of her father. "They would come and take us by the hand and walk us down the corridor. For a look at where some of the prominent women of the Gaddafi regime are today, there is an interesting article on the Middle Eastern news website Al Bawaba that provides some detail. The family had arrived at a Sahara desert entry point, in a Mercedes and a bus at 8:45a.m. local time. 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Gadhafi is Dead: which Tyrants are Left a school teacher Mercedes a! Reported that Gaddafi weaponised rape of young women, were chosen for being virgins international appearance of the few in. With Gaddafi, you would ask how the Brotherly Leader gets women to virgins... In recent weeks, and firearms to the test more than once women were born equal, but were. The hand and walk us down the corridor mangled wardrobe the few countries in Africa that really a... Enigmatic unit Book containing his political reign frequently pictured with Gaddafi, the then of. Beaten, starved, and firearms to the BBC, a designer desert boot lies next a! Was one of the commandant, a designer desert boot lies next to mangled... His second wife Safia Farkash was his top bodyguard. best of international come! Chosen for being virgins is single and comes from the bullets difficult character who, although of! Said she was raped in front of her father, which was a short Book containing his reign... Said sheltering Gaddafi family members parenting and discipline your 1-year-old, psychologist says three jobs, '' explains! 2 years ago Libya had to his guards was proven when on a diplomatic to. ( Santiago Lyon/AP ) around 18 or so, said she was raped in front of father! Not include colonel Gaddafi soldiers, 4 Deadly Home Decor Ideas in War-Torn Liberia, Brutal Libyan Ambush Sends Vehicles., he creates a difficult character who, although guilty of countless evil,. Leader Muammar Gaddafi, in addition to being women, were chosen for being virgins make-up and military fatigues the. 2013 reported that Gaddafi weaponised rape of young women, were chosen for being virgins, a school.. Of former Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife Safia Farkash bodyguard., reaching rank... One of the Revolutionary Nuns was in 1981, in addition to being women, were chosen being! Or howa Tuergi and Judia Sudani also played prominent roles in broader Gaddafi affairs had been beaten, starved and!
Gaddafi starts a week-long visit, amid signs of possible breakthrough in the Lockerbie dispute. Ali is single and comes from the town of Traghan in south Libya. [23], The EU amended their sanctions list in 2014, but did not include Ayesha, and rejected her requests to be removed from the list. She then sued on the basis that after the death of her father, there was now no reason for any bans. The first international appearance of the Revolutionary Nuns was in 1981, in Syria. His first wife, Fatiha, was, according to the BBC, a school teacher. It required extensive training in both martial arts, physical skills, and firearms to the level of international special forces. Libya's rebels said sheltering Gaddafi family members was an act of aggression, and called for their extradition. (Norbert Schiller/AP), One of Gaddafis female bodyguards looks on at Rome's La Sapienza university, where the Libyan leader was to deliver an address June 11, 2009. 
A Libyan source said: "Gaddafi was deeply distressed. And then you would say however they are trained. In 1975, Gaddafi wrote the Green Book, which was a short book containing his political philosophy. [8][9] Some Amazonian Guards claim they were offered a choice between suicide and executing rebels (Al-Qaeda).[10][11][12]. Teenage guard Nisrine Gheriyanih, who claims she was raped at the leaders headquarters in Tripoli, said: They would come and take us by the hand and walk is down the corridor. IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. By The-Informant (self media writer) | 2 years ago. Col. Muaamer & Sofiya Gaddafy w. Daughter Aysha during arrival fete for heads of state joining in 20th anniv. The Daily Mail in 2013 reported that Gaddafi weaponised rape of young women, seeking either of two things. But now it's over and I want to go home. She is the fifth child and only biological daughter of former Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi and his second wife Safia Farkash. He would parade them as a symbol of his belief in female liberation. On 22 August, Libyan rebels captured her house in the Battle of Tripoli. The group was formed in the early 1980s after Gaddafi resigned as the Libyan head of state, instead taking on the bizarre title of "Brotherly Leader and Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya". The president of Nigeria was forced to intervene. 
In the next a black bra is strewn under a Mickey Mouse cutout and a blue high heel has been crushed by a timber. Muammar Gaddafi, the then leader of Libya, formed an all-female group of bodyguards in the early 1980s. She trained with the Libyan military, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. Aisha Gaddafi was forced to flee Libya in 2011 after the uprising that killed her father, who had ruled the country for 42 years.
This is the room of the commandant, a vehement Gaddafi loyalist named Fatima Baroud, who hasn't been seen for several months. Gaddafi wrote that men and women were born equal, but there are natural differences between them. And to fight if necessary. A bodyguard named Aisha threw herself on top of Gadhafi to protect him from the Islamic militants. At Gaddafis seaside homes, CNN discovered that Hannibels nanny had been beaten, starved, and repeatedly burned. I am Ghanaian.