General
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
Ali Sharif al-Rifi ( ar, الريفي علي الشريف) was the commander of the
Libyan Air Force
The Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000 ...
until 2011 when his air force was destroyed by the NATO attacks during the
Libyan Civil War
Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...
. Subsequently, he was reported to be living in
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesChadian–Libyan conflict, Colonel al-Rifi was in command of Libyan troop deployments from his base at
Kufra
Kufra () is a basinBertarelli (1929), p. 514. and oasis group in the Kufra District of southeastern Cyrenaica in Libya. At the end of nineteenth century Kufra became the centre and holy place of the Senussi order. It also played a minor role ...
in the south of Libya.
Senior Libyan Air Force commander
In 1991, Ali Sharif al-Rifi, named as Colonel Rifi Ali al-Sharif, was listed on the Fact Sheet which provided additional information on the bombing of
Pan Am Flight 103
Pan Am Flight 103 was a regularly scheduled Pan Am transatlantic flight from Frankfurt to Detroit via a stopover in London and another in New York City. The transatlantic leg of the route was operated by ''Clipper Maid of the Seas'', a Boein ...
issued with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia indictment against
Abdelbaset al-Megrahi
Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi ( ar, عبد الباسط محمد علي المقرحي, ; 1 April 1952 – 20 May 2012) was a Libyan who was head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines, director of the Centre for Strategic Studies in Tripoli, ...
and
Lamin Khalifah Fhimah
Lamin Khalifah Fhimah ( ar, الأمين خليفة فحيمة, ''al-Amīn Khalīfah Faḥīmah''; born 4 April 1956) is a former station manager for Libyan Arab Airlines at Luqa Airport, Malta. On 31 January 2001, he was acquitted of 270 cou ...
in the case of the Lockerbie bombing. Ali Sharif al-Rifi was described as having a prominent role in Libya's procurement effort and as having reportedly attempted to assist al-Megrahi in his attempt to acquire US aircraft via Benin. The Fact Sheet did not state that Ali Sharif al-Rifi had been involved in the Lockerbie bombing.
During the
Libyan Civil War
Demographics of Libya is the demography of Libya, specifically covering population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, and religious affiliations, as well as other aspects of the Libyan population. The ...
, al-Rifi was the commander of the
Libyan Air Force
The Libyan Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الليبية) is the branch of the Libyan Armed Forces responsible for aerial warfare. In 2010, before the Libyan Civil War, the Libyan Air Force personnel strength was estimated at 18,000 ...
until his air force was destroyed by the NATO attacks.
Escape to Niger
After the pro-Gaddafi forces lost control of Tripoli, Ali Sharif al-Rifi was reported to be in the southern Libyan town of Murzuk before fleeing to the neighbouring country of
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesAgadez
Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of Agadez Region, it lies in the Sahara desert, and is also ...
on 8 September and taking up residence in the Étoile du Ténéré hotel. Marou Amadou the Nigerien justice minister confirmed the reports and stated that Ali Sharif al-Rifi, along with Gaddafi loyalist
Tuareg
The Tuareg people (; also spelled Twareg or Touareg; endonym: ''Imuhaɣ/Imušaɣ/Imašeɣăn/Imajeɣăn'') are a large Berber ethnic group that principally inhabit the Sahara in a vast area stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Al ...
General Ali Kana, was in Agadez and was "being well guarded" even though he was not in a Nigerien government building. By 14 September it was being reported that al-Rifi had relocated to the Nigerian capital
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
and taken up residence in the ''Villa du Conseil de l'Entente'' along with Gaddafi's son Al-Saadi and
Mansour Dhao
Mansour Dhao Ibrahim ( ar, منصور ضو إبراهيم; sometimes spelled Dao or Daw) is a Libyan former politician. He was a prominent figure in the Gaddafi government, serving as Muammar Gaddafi's chief of security until they were both captur ...
, Gaddafi's security chief. The ''Villa du Conseil de l'Entente'' has been described as a hillside collection of bungalows with high walls. In 2017, he was reported to have returned to his home in the Libyan town of Waddan.