Abdelhakim Belhaj, a former Islamist fighter, has returned to Libya after years of self-imposed exile in Qatar.
Belhaj arrived in Tripoli on Thursday night and was welcomed by an array of military convoys which accompanied him to his place of residence for protection.
The 55-year-old’s return comes amid political turmoil in the country caused by power transition rivalry between Fathi Bashagha and Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh.
The parliament had chosen former interior minister Bashagha by a vote last February. However, the incumbent, Dbeibeh, has rejected the parliament’s moves, saying he will only relinquish power after a national election.
Bashagha and Dbeibah, both from Misurata and both candidates for the aborted presidential poll, have the support of rival armed groups in the west.
Belhaj’s surprise return sparked controversy in Libya with many view the move as a sign of escalation since the Islamist fighter is known for being a notorious member the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), a terrorist group which has had ties to Al-Qaeda.
In a statement shortly after his arrival to Tripoli this weekend, Belhaj did not disclose the exact reason behind his return, but he noted that Libya is “going through a decisive historical stage in which it faces the dangers of division and the return of wars”.
The Islamist leader, who spent decades of his life fighting for an internationally designated terrorist group, urged Libyan parties to disassociate themselves from “ideological interests”.
“I declare my commitment to a peaceful path, and my support for the dialogue efforts led by the U.N. Mission,” he added.
After LIFG was crushed by forces of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Belhaj fled to Thailand where was arrested and tortured by the CIA before he was rendered to Libya in 2004. He remained imprisoned in the country until his 2010 release under a “de-radicalization” drive championed by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.
He had praised the mediation of Saif al-Islam for his release, but when the first Libyan civil war broke out in 2011, Belhaj led a group of anti-Gaddafi militias in Tripoli to end the 42-year-old reign of the dictator. The fighter then into politics, launching Al-Watan Party ahead of the 2012 parliamentary elections, in which the party failed to win any seats.