Back in 2002, I had sent a letter to Nelson Mandela via a friend who had played a prominent role in the anti-apartheid movement and who knew the South African president personally. In the letter I asked Mr. Mandela whether, given his close ties with Qaddafi, he could inquire about my father’s whereabouts and well-being. The answer, which was given to my friend, was unambiguous: “Mandela says to never ask him such a thing again.” As it was secondhand, it is impossible to be certain of the wording, but what was clear is that even a man as great as Nelson Mandela felt too indebted to Qaddafi to
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