Suleiman Mahmoud
{{Short description|General of Libyan army (1949–2020)}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Suleiman Mahmoud
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1949
| birth_place = Tobruk, Emirate of Cyrenaica
| death_date = {{Death date|2020|10|6|df=y}} (aged 70–71)
| death_place = Tripoli, Libya
| allegiance = {{flag|Libyan Arab Jamahiriya|1977}} (until Libyan Civil War)
{{flagicon|Libya}} National Transitional Council (2011–2020)
| branch = Army
| serviceyears =
| rank = Major General
| servicenumber =
| unit =
| commands = Tobruk Military Region
National Liberation Army
| battles = Libyan Civil War
| battles_label =
| awards =
| relations =
| laterwork =
}}
Suleiman Mahmoud al-Obeidi ({{Langx|ar|سليمان محمود العبيدي|Sulaymān Maḥmūd al-ʻUbaydī}}; 1949 – 6 October 2020)[https://www.libyaobserver.ly/news/head-presidential-council-offers-condolences-death-mg-sulaiman-al-abedi Head of Presidential Council offers condolences for death of MG Sulaiman Al-Abedi] was a senior military officer of the Gaddafi regime in Libya who defected to the opposition during the Libyan Civil War.
Career
He was formerly a commander in Muammar Gaddafi's army. He was commander of the Tobruk Military Region.{{Cite web|url=http://analisisdecoyuntura2011-2.blogspot.com/2011/03/articulo-no-3-special-report-libyas.html|title = Análisis de Coyuntura: Artículo No. 3 Special Report: Libya's Tribal Dynamics February 25, 2011|date = 6 March 2011}} He was amongst the first of the army hierarchy to defect to the opposition during the Libyan Civil War.{{cite news | work = The Wall Street Journal|title=Defections from the Libyan regime| date = 23 February 2011| url = https://blogs.wsj.com/dispatch/2011/02/23/defections-from-the-libyan-regime/}}{{cite news | work = Financial Times|title=Tubruq's free locals take first decisions| date = 24 February 2011| url = http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5ff2c5fa-404d-11e0-9140-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1H5qGS3ZZ}} Around half of the estimated 6,000 troops who joined the rebels took their orders from General Mahmoud{{cite news | newspaper = The Economist|title=The battle for Libya: The colonel fights back
| date = 10 March 2011| url = http://www.economist.com/node/18338840?story_id=18338840}} prior to the 28 July 2011 assassination of General Abdul Fatah Younis, the top commander of the National Liberation Army. The Associated Press reported the next day that Mahmoud succeeded Younis as army commander.{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-07-29-libya-rebel-chief-slain_n.htm|work=USA Today|agency=Associated Press|date=29 July 2011|accessdate=29 July 2011|title=Officer accuses fellow rebels in Libya killing}}
Mahmoud moved his headquarters to Tripoli after the success of Operation Mermaid Dawn. As of early September 2011, he reportedly maintained a separate force from Abdelhakim Belhadj, the head of the Tripoli Military Council, though the two men were ostensibly working to integrate the anti-Gaddafi forces in western Libya into a cohesive military under the aegis of the National Transitional Council.{{cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2011/09/08/140301596/libyan-rebels-vie-for-key-posts-in-tripoli?sc=tw&cc=share|agency=National Public Radio|title=Libyan Rebels Vie For Key Posts In Tripoli|first=Corey|last=Flintoff}}
In 2014, he opposed Khalifa Haftar's Operation Dignity and vocally criticized Haftar while living in Tobruk despite the fact that the Tobruk government was aligned with Haftar. He relocated to Tripoli after Haftar tried to seize Tripoli.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-10 |title=Head of Presidential Council offers condolences for death of MG Sulaiman Al-Abedi {{!}} The Libya Observer |url=https://libyaobserver.ly/news/head-presidential-council-offers-condolences-death-mg-sulaiman-al-abedi |access-date=2023-06-15 |website=libyaobserver.ly |language=en}}
Death
On 6 October 2020, Mahmoud died from COVID-19 at the age of 71 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Libya.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Aljazeeratopic|person/suleiman-mahmoud}}
- [http://english.aljazeera.net/video/africa/2011/04/20114853018937798.html English Aljazeera interview of General Suleiman Mahmoud]
{{2011 Libyan civil war}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahmoud, Suleiman}}
Category:People of the Libyan civil war (2011)