GADDAFI'S SORROWFUL END

I never admired Gaddafi or his Jamahiriya system, even as an Ambassador to Libya. I also did not like his narcissist personality and Machiavellian approach to politics. His love for Nigeria was suspect, in spite of his friendship with some former Nigerian Presidents. Gaddafi's outburst calling for the division of Nigeria along tribal or religious lines in March, 2010 did not win him favour in the eyes of many Nigerians.

Yet, when I saw the gruesome image of Gaddafi in the hands of his captors and his bared torso graphically shown on the television, tears rolled from my eyes. I had seen the pictures of Nicoli Cacescu and his wife, Elena tied to the stake and shot; the video recording of how Samuel Doe was dismembered limb by limb until he died; and I saw the hanging of Saddam Hussein, but because I never met these people my reaction to their death although emotional, was never the same as that of Gaddafi. I met Gaddafi many times.

I supported the role of NATO in Libya, not because it was politically correct, but because I believed that Libya had only two options: an 'organized chaos' or a 'disorganized chaos'. The first was demonstrated in the role by NATO in which, the National Transitional Council (NTC) was fully supported both militarily and politically. The NTC troops were systematically guided and assisted to carry out a successful campaign against Gaddafi. If Gaddafi had died a natural death in office, the second option would have followed, in which at least five factions would have tried to slaughter themselves out over a long period of time. There was absolutely no instrument of succession in Gaddafi's Jamahiriya. Since violence was inevitable, I preferred the fast-tracked one, which NATO diligently provided.

There was no doubt that Gaddafi was a dictator, and the reaction of most Libyans to his death probably showed that he terrorized them more than he governed them. Brother Leader, as he was fondly referred to in official circles, was both a great builder and a super destroyer. During the 42 years that he stayed in power this trait of building and destroying was glaringly exhibited in Libya. From 1969 when he deposed King Idris, and for the 15 years that followed, the GDP of Libya grew several folds mainly due to increase in oil export. He introduced social programmes that catapulted the standard of living of most Libyans, literally lifting them out of their Bedouin life to modernity.

This was also the period during which Gaddafi supported the Palestinians and all the liberation movements in Africa. To his credit, no Arab leader supported the liberation struggle in Africa more than he did. In this phase of his rule, he started the Great Man-Made River project, invested in iron and steel, and built several refineries and cement plants. He built thousands of houses for his people and united the warring tribes of Libya. He was a revolutionist, a patriotic Arab and an African. He was young, honest and admired by all.

However, after this period the destructions started. Human rights abuse at home became an instrument of governance, while his notoriety abroad heightened because of his direct involvement in acts of terrorism all over the world. He stirred up trouble with all his neighbours – Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Niger. From 1980 to 1987 Gaddafi invaded Chad, until the Chadian rag-tag army demolished his army in the 'Toyota War'. 20,000 Libyan soldiers were killed in the war, especially when the Chadian army overran the Libyan air base of Maaten al-Sarra. Gaddafi was forced to leave Chad, including the Aouzou Strip. Gaddafi never won a war, and probably that was why he decided to remain a Colonel for 42 years! One after the other, he fell out with all the other Arab leaders, many of whom he tried to assassinate.

Gaddafi, who had been the protector of the Palestinians, decided overnight in 1995 that they should all leave Libya - 30,000 of them - just because the PLO had agreed to enter into negotiation with Israel.

Gaddafi's involvement in acts of terrorism - UTA Flight 772 (1974); La Belle Discotheque (1986); and the Pan Am 103 (1988) bombings, etc. was perhaps his greatest undoing. In response to these bombings, the US imposed its own sanctions against Libya (1986) and the UN followed from 1990-2003. These sanctions brought down Libya to its knees, reversing all the social and economic gains Gaddafi made in his first decade in power. The sanctions brought a total collapse of the financial and banking systems in the country, with the Libyan Dinar losing more than 80% of its pre-sanctions value. During this period, unemployment in Libya rose to as high as 60%, while education, health and housing took a direct hit. In that situation, the egalitarian system that Gaddafi had tried to build began to collapse, while corruption entered though the front door.

To avoid total isolation, Gaddafi turned all his efforts into trying to re-engage African states. He made the vision of the African Union possible, by being its chief architect. The 37th Summit of the OAU held in Lusaka, Zambia in July, 2001 succeeded in adopting the resolution to transform OAU into AU, largely because of Gaddafi and his cheque-book diplomacy. Two-thirds of OAU Member-States were required to vote in favour of the resolution to effect the change. However, about 20 states were under sanction and could not participate in the voting because of outstanding arrears in assessed contribution. Gaddafi saved the day by settling the arrears of enough member-states to enable the resolution to be voted on and passed.

In return, African countries helped Gaddafi to ensure that the UN sanctions against Libya were lifted. The most reasonable thing to do after the lifting of the sanctions would have been to tackle all the hardships created by the sanctions. Instead, Gaddafi chose to be enmeshed in grandiose foreign policy pursuits. He spent millions of dollars on his pet African Union Government project, nursing the ambition of being its president. He bought the title, the 'King of Kings' after spending millions of dollars on African traditional chiefs, and continued to prop up the budget of many African countries, while thousands of his own youths remained unemployed.

Gaddafi invested billions of dollars in 27 African countries (Nigeria not included) to the chagrin of his people. Apart from Sirte, his hometown, he did not bother to develop any other city in Libya. Tripoli looks like a provincial capital compared to Tunis, Cairo or Rabat. In 2003, Gaddafi the super destroyer announced the dismantling of his weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programme, which Libya spent billions of dollars on. In his sewage ditch, Gaddafi must have regretted a thousand times because with the WMD, NATO would have thought twice before attacking him.

In 2009, during the 40th anniversary of his accession to power, there were strong rumours that Gaddafi was going to announce a programme of his gradual stepping down and handing over to a new generation. This never featured in his speech; instead he was too preoccupied with his ambition of becoming the President of Africa. The disconnect between Gaddafi's mind and the reality of his country was too much, and it was only Gaddafi who could not see it. The flamboyant lifeclass of Gaddafi's children, especially their involvement in government and the running of the economy was painful to many Libyans. The arrogance of his favoured son, Seif Al-Islam and the infamous speech 'Dar Dar, Zanga Zanga' at the beginning of the protests, now a top of the chart in rap songs in the Arab world, helped a lot in giving momentum to the protests and the eventual civil war. Unfortunately, in countries where there is no human right, no free press or organized opposition, leaders are deprived the opportunity to gauge the true mood of their country.

Gaddafi's violent end was a tragedy, but those who live by the sword die by the sword. As a friend remarked, 'It is only destiny that would incite a man to engage in folly after folly in the manner Gaddafi did'. However, it is difficult to understand why the NTC should descend to the barbarity of displaying the dead bodies of Gaddafi and his son for three days, in a rival tribal city. This is against all the conventions of war, human rights, and Islamic values.

Yes, Gaddafi was a ruthless leader, but the new Libya should not be anchored on vengeance and lack of compassion or common decency. Otherwise, what is the difference between Gaddafi's Libya and the new Libya? 'Eye for an eye and the whole world would be blind', said Mahatma Gandhi.

May the Almighty Allah forgive Muammar bin Mohammed bin Abdussalam al Fuhsi Gaddafi, former leader of the Great Al-Fateh Revolution of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, for all his transgressions.

Ibrahim is former Nigerian Ambassador to Libya.