Béchir Salah Béchir

Bashir Saleh Bashir (; born July 24, 1946) is a former aide of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. He was head of the Libyan African Portfolio, a sovereign wealth fund that invested Libya's oil wealth mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, and served as an intermediary between Libya, Africa and France. Bashir was captured after the Battle of Tripoli during the Libyan Civil War, but later escaped. Libya demanded that he be extradited because it was believed he was in France. Bashir spent Libya's oil money solely for the Gaddafi family, buying up hotels, mineral resources and shares in companies, eventually becoming what some Libyan officials and financial experts describe as one of the largest single investors in Africa. Libyan authorities believe that finding him is the key to finding $7 billion in missing Libyan funds. He is a close associate of French businessman Jean-Yves Ollivier.

Biography

Early and personal life Saleh was born in Traghan, Murzuq District on 24 July 1946. He is from the Beni Meskine tribe, which originated in Morocco. His father was a nurse. He attended the same school in Sebha as Muammar Gaddafi, who was 4 years his senior, but they did not know each other. He later attended schools in Murzuk and Tripoli, where he obtained a degree in science and mathematic. After his graduation in 1967, he returned to Murzuk to work as a teacher. On appeal, his wife was ordered to pay $222,500 euro to four Tanzanian and a Nigerian servants for "domestic slavery" in 2015. As of 2017, Bashir and his wife had not paid either the fine or compensation. He speaks fluent French and often served as Gaddafi's translator with French officials. He played a key role in transitioning the Organization of African Unity to the African Union and Gaddafi's rapprochement with the West. On March 15, 2012, Niger claimed that his diplomatic passport was rescinded in order to defuse tensions with the new Libyan government.

Saleh's presence in France became a campaign issue in the 2012 French presidential election due to his role in alleged Libyan financing in the 2007 French presidential election. In May 2012, French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed that Bashir was in France and expressed his country's willingness to cooperate with Interpol if Bashir was wanted by the new Libyan government. French Prime Minister Francois Fillon claimed that Bashir's diplomatic passport from Niger was still valid. Due to the fact that Sarkozy was projected to lose the election to Francois Hollande, Saleh left France on 3 May 2012. In March 2013, Saleh was sighted at a BRICS summit in Durban. In May 2013, he was sighted at the Michelangelo Hotel, which allegedly had ties to Gaddafi, in Johannesburg. Despite being on Interpol's wanted list, he appeared to be traveling freely between South Africa, Niger, and Swaziland.

On February 23, 2018, Saleh was injured in an apparent carjacking at or near his home in Johannesburg. The assailants pulled him out of his car and shot him, before escaping in the vehicle.

Return to politics Due to the resignation of President of South Africa Jacob Zuma and being shot in a carjacking, Saleh no longer felt safe in South Africa and relocated to Abu Dhabi in 2018. He was accused by supporters of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi of passing Libya's secrets to the UAE. His return to Libya was reportedly orchestrated by the UAE with tacit approval from Khalifa Haftar.

In September 2022, Bashir confirmed Gaddafi funded Sarkozy's campaign in the 2007 French presidential election.