Former Libyan Prime Minister dies of COVID-19

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 11: Libyan Transitional National Council representative Mahmoud Jibril talk to reporters after meeting with members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the U.S. Capitol May 11, 2011 in Washington, DC. Jibril will meet with administration officials, lawmakers, and give a speech at the Brookings Institution. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Former Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril died on Sunday in Cairo, Egypt after contracting COVID-19, his National Forces Alliance (NFA) announced in a statement Sunday

He is the first major Arab politician to die of COVID-19.

The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) said Jibril died after a “battle with the coronavirus infection.”

“Dr. Jibril was particularly dedicated to building civil society and promoting the inclusion of women and young Libyans in politics. Dr. Jibril was a friend and mentor to many and participated most recently in the UN-facilitated Political Dialogue Forum. He will be greatly missed,” Acting Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNSMIL Stephanie Williams said in a statement Sunday.

On March 27, the NFA announced that Jibril tested positive for COVID-19, adding that he was in “stable health on the course to recovery.”

Jibril, 67, served as interim Prime Minister of the opposition government that led the country through the civil war until the first post-Gadhafi elections were held in 2012

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 1.27 million people and killed over 69,000 worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University.