Mehdi Mohammed Zeyo
محمد
Bornc. 1962
Libya
Died20 February 2011(2011-02-20) (aged 49)
Benghazi, Libya
Cause of deathAltruistic suicide; blew up gates to military base in Benghazi
Nationality Libya
Occupation(s)Middle Manager, National Oil Company

Mehdi Mohammed Zeyo (c. 1962 – 20 February 2011) was a Libyan middle manager for a state oil company in Benghazi, Libya. In the wake of the Libyan Civil War, Zeyo found he could no longer bury the civilian youth killed by Muammar Gaddafi's forces; he subsequently decided to use his car to blow up the gates to a military base in Benghazi.[1] This allowed the civilian oppositional fighters to overrun the base and claim Benghazi as an oppositional stronghold in the Libyan Civil War.[1]

Background

NPR reporter Lourdes Garcia-Navarro describes Zeyo as "the most unlikely hero of the Libyan Civil War."[2] As an older gentleman of 49 amongst the youth democracy protesters, the middle-manager for a state oil company joined the peaceful protest movement as soon as it began.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Fadel, Leila (2 March 2011). "Libya's unlikely hero: Mehdi Mohammed Zeyo". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  2. ^ a b Garcia-Navarro, Lordes (28 February 2011). "Libya's Rebellion Spawns A Trio Of Unlikely Heroes". NPR. Retrieved 19 March 2011.

External links

Libyan civil war (2011)
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