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Yesterday, October 20, marked the fourth anniversary of the barbaric, cold-blooded assassination of Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi by Nato-backed rebels who overran the north African country after abusing a UN resolution for a no-fly zone.
This marked the third time since the 2003 illegal invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, that the Anglo-Saxon alliance comprising of the United States, Britain and France by-passed the United Nations to launch air-strikes against another UN member state.
What made the West’s bombardment of Libya even more outrageous was the fact that it was launched on the back of wilful disregard of UN Resolution 1973 that provided for a no-fly zone over Libya. The no-fly zone was proposed to protect civilians in the wake of scandalous, Western claims that Libyan Security Forces were using war planes on civilians.
Ironically, under the guise of protecting civilians, the Western alliance began endangering them by bombing non-military targets, inflicting heavy civilian losses in the process.
What made the Western raid even more outrageous was that it was launched against African opinion since the African Union’s Peace and Security Council had expressed support for the Libyan government’s response to armed rebels who were masquerading as protesters.
More so elite forces belonging to some of the countries behind the unwarranted bombardment of Libya were sighted and nabbed in Libya, raising suspicion about the source of the arms that were being used by the armed rebels.
At international law and in terms of the UN Charter, the Libyan government was within its rights to meet rebel fire with fire and would have been remiss to do that on placard-wielding protesters.
The international community, manifest in the United Nations, was found wanting in failing to put an end to the unwarranted aggression against Libya. The UNSC should have stood up to be counted, but was surprisingly content to watch and in so doing evoked memories of the toothless League of Nations that dismally failed to save the world from the scourge of war between 1939 and 1945.
The AU had charted a clear roadmap where a panel of African leaders was to go to Libya to evaluate the situation and map the way forward. Gaddafi himself had pledged to open the doors to UN and AU investigators which is why the West’s readiness to forego investigations pointed to a nefarious agenda.
And they had their way simply because the world chose to do nothing.
Today, one of the most progressive African leaders lies in an unmarked grave in the desert, with his murderers free as birds.
His country, Libya — which was an inspiration to people-centred development in the developing world — is a virtual wasteland overrun by armed brigands.
Gaddafi’s killers are free, not even the pretentious ICC has sought to make a case against them, but is happy to be used against his son, Saif al-Islam.
What kind of international justice system is this that approximates a spiders web that catches flies and ants, but leaves bigger vermin to run riot?
To this end we salute the recent stance taken by Russia to help Syria fight Western-backed rebels who were threatening to overrun the country. We also salute China for moving to reform the international trading system.
We challenge developing world leaders to press for the expeditious reform of the UN system that has, on numerous occasions so far, failed to check the bullyboy tactics of Western rabble-rousers.
Gaddafi’s callous murder needs recourse, the world dare not forget!
Online Reporter