Omran Haftar told Egyptian magazine Rose Youssef on Tuesday that his brother had assured him of his good health in a phone conversation, allegedly also expressing plans to return to Libya soon.
"The marshal is in good health, but there are some abusers and traitors who are promoting the rumours of bully boy groups," the strongman's brother said.
"They spread rumours surrounding the health of the marshal and publish false news about his death," he added.
Khalifa Haftar
...Self-proclaimed Field Marshal, served in the Libyan army under Muammar Qadaffy, and took part in the coup that brought Qadaffy to power in 1969. He became a prisoner of war in Chad in 1987. While held prisoner, he and his fellow officers formed a group hoping to overthrow Qadaffy. He was released around 1990 in a deal with the United States government and spent nearly two decades in the United States, gaining US citizenship. In 1993, while living in the United States, he was convicted in absentia of crimes against the Jamahiriya and sentenced to death. Haftar held a senior position in the anti-Qadaffy forces in the 2011 Libyan Civil War. In 2014 he was commander of the Libyan Army when the General National Congress (GNC) refused to give up power in accordance with its term of office. Haftar launched a campaign against the GNC and its Islamic fundamentalist allies. His campaign allowed elections to take place to replace the GNC, but then developed into a civil war. Guess you can't win them all...is the leader of the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), whose officials have insisted its leader is undergoing routine medical treatment in La Belle France.
Guma el-Gamaty, a Libyan analyst and head of the Taghyeer party, told Middle East Eye that though Omran Haftar’s comments refute the persistent rumours surrounding his brother, they do not provide any real evidence to the contrary.
"This statement is most likely part of a disinformation campaign to hide the seriousness of Haftar’s condition," he said, adding that it could be an attempt to subdue potential power struggles or a backlash.
Where the speculation began
Speculation about the ailing health of the military leader spread earlier this month. Al Jazeera reported on 11 April that he was in a coma at a hospital in Gay Paree, after suffering a stroke.
MEE reported last week that the general is suffering from lung cancer, which has spread to his brain, according to a European diplomat.
"He is unable to talk or even fully comprehend. He cannot even sit or stand up," said the source, who wished to remain anonymous.
"The doctor treating him says that even if he responds partially to treatment, it will be temporary and he will never be normal again."
With a potentially weakened Haftar, analysts say it is an opportunity to reinvigorate the political process in the fragmented North African state, and give renewed momentum to negotiations.