In Gaddafi’s Clutches

Ahmed Vall Dine is a distinguished Mauritanian journalist, novelist, and author renowned for his insightful explorations of historical and geopolitical themes. Since 2008, he has served as a roving correspondent for Al Jazeera Media Network, reporting from regions such as Southern Africa, Afghanistan, and North Africa. His extensive coverage of political and social transformations in the Arab world has provided him with a profound understanding of Middle Eastern and Western relations. Vall Dine holds a Master's degree in Comparative Religions. ​ In 2011, during the Libyan conflict, Vall Dine was captured and imprisoned by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi. This harrowing experience led him to author In Gaddafi's Clutches: Al Jazeera Caught in the Arab Spring, a memoir detailing his arrest, imprisonment, and the broader events of the war. The English translation of this work was published in September 2024. ​ Vall Dine's literary contributions extend to historical fiction. His novels Al-Hadaqi (2018) and Al-Shaibani (2019) delve into rich historical narratives, showcasing his ability to intertwine factual events with compelling storytelling. In 2023, he published Danshmand, a fictionalized biography of the esteemed 12th-century scholar Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali. This work garnered significant acclaim, earning a place on the shortlist for the 2025 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. In 2021, Vall Dine authored The Rock of the Land: The Battle Between Conquerors and Protectors in Afghanistan, offering an in-depth analysis of Afghanistan's complex history of invasions and resilience. ​ Through his diverse body of work, Ahmed Vall Dine continues to provide profound insights into historical events and contemporary issues, bridging the past and present through his journalistic endeavors and literary creations.A translator and language instructor, with a PhD in Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature, and an MFA in Translation and Creative writing. She has worked with international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and The United Nations. And she has eight published novel translations, including Haitham Hussein’s No One May Remain and Mahmoud Shukair’s Jerusalem Stands Alone. Her works have received several rewards and have been mentioned in prestigious newspapers and journals, such as The New York Times, World Literature Today, Al Madaniya, and Cengage Learning. She is currently publishing a book on the challenges multilingual children face in expressing trauma.