Identical sources from eastern Libya confirmed that Khalifa Haftar had issued a decision to promote his son Saddam - who holds the position of Chief of Staff of ground forces - to the rank of Lieutenant General.
This news was confirmed by the Director of Security of Benghazi, Major General Ahmed Al-Shamikh, who posted a congratulatory message on the directorate’s Facebook page to Saddam Haftar on the occasion of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General.
This promotion came to reinforce speculation that Saddam Haftar was preparing to succeed his father in leading the forces in east Libya and consolidate his influence in the region.
Haftar issued a decision in mid-May to assign his son Saddam as Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces, in addition to creating a new body called the Chief of Staff of the Security Units, assigning his son Khalid as the head.
Africa Intelligence website indicated that appointing Saddam Haftar as Chief of Staff of the Ground Forces would help him in positioning himself as a successor to his father, saying, “His promotion would be part of a long-term plan that aims to legitimize his position at the head of a unified army, as Haftar hopes.”
Haftar's sons, who hold the highest military positions and the highest ranks, have never entered any military college and have not received any academic qualifications that would qualify them to hold such ranks and positions.
