I do not think that there will be a perfect time to discuss Mansour El-Kekhia’s disappearance than the international human rights day , after all the human rights activist Kekhia disappeared on the 10th of December 1993 , the human rights day in Cairo near from his hotel.
Just like the murder of David Holden , it is not a pure 100% Egyptian X-File , it is an Egyptian-Arab X-File with the following two facts : Dr. El-Kekhia is a Libyan and he disappeared with no trace in Egypt.
El-Kekhia disappearance could be considered the tip of the ice-berg in the political personalities disappearance related to the Libyan regime. No one can compete El-Kekhia in his media impact and coverage except Musa El-Sadr . Strangely Musa El-Sadr disappearance anniversary was during the same time Qaddafi was celebrating the 40th anniversary of his coup.
My dear reader you may know have a primary idea about Mansour Kekhia ,that he is or was a Libyan that disappeared in an incident related to Qaddafi in Cairo but you may wonder : Who is or was Mansour El-Kekhia ??
Dr. Mansour Rashid Kekhia was born in 1931 , he was from the famous Kekhia family of Benghazi. The Kekhia clan contributed a lot to the
history of Libya whether during the Ottoman rule or during the monarchy , the most famous members of the Kekhia family is Omar Pasha Kekhia. Dr. Kekhia had been the ambassador of Libya to the United nations during the monarchy till Qaddafi’s coup from 40 years ago. He continued in his post till he became the foreign minister of the country in 1970s until 1980 when he resigned and turned in to one of the main opponents to Qadaffi’s regime leaving the country to the United States. Besides being a Libyan dissident the former minister became from the outspoken Arab human rights activists. Dr.Kekhia is from the founders of the Arab organization of human rights. On the personal level Dr. Kekhia is or was married to Bahaa Kekhia and he had 3 children : 2 girls and one boy whom he left while they were toddlers.
Dr. Mansour Kekhia came to Cairo from Paris on the 29th of November 1993 by an official invitation from the Arab organization for human rights to attend the organization conference which ended on the 4th of December 1993. He remained in Cairo to visit his relatives and friends. Due to the sensitivity of his position and the fact that Egypt has normal ties with Libya , Kekhia promised not to come in a political visit embarrassing Cairo and on the other had Cairo assured to Kekhia that the Libyan regime would not touch a single hair in his head while in its hospitality , the Libyan regime had already promised not to use the Egyptian territories in liquidating its enemies. For the record Kekhia entered Egypt with an Algerian Passport as an Algerian citizen.
“This photo was taken on the 9th of December 1993 in Cairo while visiting a friend in Cairo and it became his last photo till now”Kekhia was supposedly to return back to Paris on 12th of December 1993. On the 10th of December some eye witnesses saw Kekhia leaving Safir Hotel’s cafe with someone and since then no one had seen him again whether alive or dead. Oddly enough Kekhia left all his stuff in his room whether his medication “he was a diabetic and needed his shots” , his passports and his IDs.There was a rumor that some Libyans in Egypt tried to arrange a meeting with him and an envoy from the Libyan regime but he refused.
Mrs.Bahaa Kekhia came and a whole media circus started in Egypt in time there was no internet nor News night TV shows. I remember the coverage very well in the newspapers then.The Egyptian State followed the case assuring that it would not accept any political abduction operation , it was obvious that it was a first degree political abduction and with no much thinking the suspects list was too short and too obvious
There is no need to say that Qadaffi’s regime is the main suspect in our file , after all it was not the first time also by kidnapping Kekhia a powerful opposition sound had been shut up. It was enough that after disappearance by 48 hours Qaddafi called his so-called public conferences or what ever he calls them to “Squash the starry dogs !!” . Also after 12 hours of Kekhia’s disappearance 4 big black diplomatic Libyan vehicles were reported to be seen crossing our Egyptian Libyan borders. Mrs.Kekhia met Qaddafi in 1994 and officially he blamed the CIA for her husband abduction. Kekhia due to his experience was for sure for the top candidates eyed to replace Qaddafi for sure and Qaddafi knew that very well even if Kekhia did not look for ruling Libya but just to liberate it from his fist and that’s what all people agreed upon. Kekhia for the record refused any foreign support and by foreign support , I mean the CIA. I am not an expert in the Libyan internal affairs but it seemed that the disappearance of Kekhia was a blow to the Libyan opposition abroad.
The question which I really cares for is how much the Egyptian regime which represents Egypt unfortunately was involved in this disappearance. !! In 1997 the CIA concluded that El-Kekhia was abducted by the GIS and turned over to the Libyans where he was executed !! Mubarak was furious at the report and accused Washington of blackmailing us in order to release Azzam Azzam. Mubarak just like Qaddafi accused the CIA of abducting the man from Cairo. Even if that report was not true and the GIS did not do the dirty job and abduct our guest ,Cairo knew who exactly abducted the man , Cairo knew who did it and is keeping its mouth shut for some reason. I believe this reason is not worth it because this disappearance or abduction made Egypt up till now and its security services from GIS and State Security in front of the Whole World look guilty.It is stupidity to trust someone like Qaddafi or the CIA and got involved in such act. Libyans abroad protested in front of our embassy and our regime was considered as an accomplice and for what !!??
Of course I won’t role out the CIA involvement possibility but I can’t find a reason why the CIA would do it , yes El-Kekhia and the Libyan National Alliance refused the foreign involvement in their fight with Qaddafi but they still gave Qaddafi hard time !!
Ironically earlier this year in January 2009 in a satellite speech and meeting in George town university Qaddafi blamed the notorious rampant crime levels in Cairo for El-Kekhia’s disappearance !! I do not know if it is the CIA or our Crime life in Cairo !!?? In fact I do not believe the CIA story after that crime level in Cairo turned to be the reason why Kekhia had disappeared.
Unfortunately Kekhia is considered now a dead person officially in Libya yet his family , his children who became grown ups did not forget him along wit his relatives and supporters.Already his family is disturbed in the States with that new page with Qaddafi
Rashid, Kekhia’s son , he left him as a kid and now he is a young man
Mansour Kekhia was not or is not the last victim of Qaddafi , he is just one among millions of Libyans who were executed in the vast desert of Libya by the orders of the colonelLinks :
SO the history of human right in egypt is old , and violation of human right too
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