Niger Extradites Former Top Gaddafi Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Niger's government extradited Abdallah Mansour, a former top Libyan intelligence official under the Gaddafi regime, to Libya on suspicion of plotting against the government in Tripoli.
Mansour was among a number of senior members of toppled President Muammar Gaddafi's government who fled to neighboring Niger in 2011 as rebels seized control of the oil-rich North African nation.
"Mansour was extradited yesterday to Tripoli. He was arrested and interrogated by the gendarmerie as part of an enquiry into whether he was plotting against the government in Tripoli," a military official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
Niger had resisted calls from Libya to extradite Gaddafi's son, Saadi, who also fled in 2011.
Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan said on Friday the government was safe and security was under control, dismissing a statement by a senior army official calling for the parliament to be suspended and the armed forces to "rescue" the country.
A second military source in Niger, who also asked not to be named, told Reuters that authorities there had found evidence Mansour was plotting "subversive acts" in Libya following a tip-off from Tripoli.
"Tripoli's accusations were solid and authorities have informed other supporters of Gaddafi in Niger that they should remain calm," the second source said.
Nearly three years after Gaddafi's fall, Libya's government remains fragile. It has yet to draft a new constitution and its armed forces have been unable to impose their authority on the brigades of former revolutionary fighters who refuse to disarm.
