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(NEWZIMBABWE) Gaddafi’s legacy in Africa

Gaddafi’s legacy in Africa
01/11/2011 00:00:00
by Marshall Gore

THE violent death of Libya’s Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has been greeted with jubilation by many Libyans who felt the country could not move on while he remained at large. While Libya might appear to have gained in losing Gaddafi, his demise may yet prove to be Africa’s biggest loss. By losing Gaddafi, Africa may also have lost Libya.

In a way, this should be not be a surprise. Under Gaddafi, Libya has been an integral part of Africa and its politics. Sirte, his hometown and stronghold, was the birthplace of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963.

During his 42-year reign, Gaddafi championed Pan-Africanism and African multiculturalism both at home and abroad. He embraced all the black Libyans who make up a quarter of the population together with the one million African migrant workers into Libya without prejudice.

However, the newly found Libya under the governance of the National Transitional Council (NTC) does not seem to embrace Africa, maybe for its own good reasons. They appear to be identifying more with their Arab colleagues and western allies who supported them militarily during the “revolution”.

Political analyst Dr Knox Chitiyo, in a recent article in the Guardian, said: “Colonel Gaddafi’s overthrow has highlighted the country’s Arab heritage and created divisions within the continent.”

Dr Chitiyo’s observations are not surprising as only 20 of the Africa Union’s 53 member nations have recognised the NTC. The fact that a legitimate head of state has been unconstitutionally removed from power is against the African Union charter.

Gaddafi’s unceremonious death by execution and the reprisals against black Africans in Libya by the NTC rebel fighters have angered many across the continent. As if this was not enough, the NTC added more insult to injury by denying Gaddafi a decent burial.

The world was told this secret burial was in the national interest so that his grave is not turned into a shrine by his loyalists. But were we not told that this was a hugely unpopular man whose only supporters stood behind him out of fear?

Regardless, by burying him dead at night in an unmarked grave in the desert; they defied Islamic law, hence provoked may Muslims in Libya and around the world.

Whatever his crimes and woes, Gaddafi did not deserve to die like this. NATO has tried to cover the mess in vain but it appears too late as the UN has demanded an inquest into his death and is now treating it as a war crime.

In a recent op-ed in the Herald, the newspaper’s deputy editor Caesar Zvayi said: “Gaddafi’s ghost is set to haunt the NTC, if it has not already begun doing so on account of his dawn burial.”

By killing a defiant Gaddafi in cold blood, and abusing his body, the NTC set the stage for its terrible end at some point. They have made him more of a martyr and this may inevitably invite resistance from his tribe and many others who still support him quietly in Libya. Gaddafi was also the scourge of Islamic militants; which America will soon regret as Al Qaeda may soon take a foothold there!

To his credit, Gaddafi walked his talk, that he would die fighting and protecting the land of his forefathers. He died a painful but honourable death. He did not look for a sacrificial lamb but instead chose to be one himself.

In his recently published “last will” on his website, Gaddafi is quoted to have left the following message to his people: “I call on my supporters to continue the resistance, and fight any foreign aggressor against Libya, today, tomorrow and always. Let the free people of the world know that we could have bargained over and sold out our cause in return for a personal secure and stable life.

“We received many offers to this effect but we chose to be at the vanguard of the confrontation as a badge of duty and honour. Even if we do not win immediately, we will give a lesson to future generations that choosing to protect the nation is an honour and selling it out is the greatest betrayal that history will remember forever despite the attempts of the others to tell you otherwise.”

This revolutionary statement clearly reminds us to what sort of a leader Gaddafi was. Unselfish! He refused to give up Libya’s wealth to the hungry west in exchange for his personal safety. He chose defiance. Gaddafi showed solidarity by refusing to sell out his revolutionary gains in exchange for western patronage.

Had he not been a strong leader, Gaddafi would have committed political adultery by giving in to western imperialist demands. Instead, he was resolute till death. His stance to continue fighting for his cause, even when he knew that the enemy was closing on his door step makes him a true revolutionary. African politics will remember him for this legacy and the precedence he set in fighting against the re-colonisation of Libya.

In the eyes of many Africans, Gaddafi died defending his country from a new scramble by western countries for resources, oil to be precise. One day the Libyans will wake up to see the vision of his gospel. Let’s hope it won’t be too late, as by then the oil fields could have run dry.

Even critics of Gaddafi’s eccentricities do acknowledge that Libya as a country prospered under his leadership. His philosophy of governance drawn from his vastly criticised Green Book (The Jamahira) transformed Libya into a prosperous near egalitarian society. It eliminated capitalism and propagated functional communism which bore a lot of fruit in Libya.

With the ideology of giving the authority and power to the people - the community leaders of the revolution - the benefits of the oil money became evident in Libya and were shared by many. Gaddafi created a strong and sustainable farming community by investing millions of dollars in water projects.

Under his regime, the Libyan economy grew and blossomed to western standards. He introduced an adorable state welfare system that rewarded hard work and enabled all Libyans to access free health care and education. Unlike most African dictators, he was successful both at home and abroad. His biggest mistake might have been staying in power for too long, but he certainly delivered as a leader.

Gaddafi’s good attributes extended to the entire African continent. He also gave a lot of financial assistance to many African countries fighting for liberation during the colonial era in the last four decades. His help is most cherished and appreciated by African leaders in the sub-Saharan region, the likes of President Robert Mugabe; Yoweni Museveni and Nelson Mandela.

In 1994, following his inauguration as South Africa’s first black president, Mandela said: “Those who feel irritated by our friendship with President Gaddafi can go jump in the pool.”

He was rejecting pressures from Western leaders including US President Bill Clinton to sever ties with Gaddafi who had helped the ANC during the fight against apartheid. Of course Mandela refused to be selfish, he later in 1998 brokered a historical peace deal between Gaddafi and the West which led the handing over of Abdelbaset Ali Mohamed al-Megrahi for trial in Scotland.

The BBC’s Farouk Chothia, in analysing Gaddafi’s death and its meaning for Africa, clearly acknowledges the impact of his revolutionary image in inspiring and helping the South Africans to fight for liberation against the apartheid government. However, he also noted that contrary to backing pro-democracy causes, Gaddafi also fuelled rebellions in Liberia, Sierra Leone and supported Uganda’s infamous dictator Idi Amin.

Whatever his faults, African leaders tended to rightfully overlook them. They instead chose solidarity ahead of personal mistakes. "Muammar Gaddafi, whatever his faults, is a true nationalist. I prefer nationalists to puppets of foreign interests," Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said in February.

From the above testimonies, we can all learn that the independent-minded Gaddafi had some positive contribution to Libya, as well as Africa and the Third World. As Africans we should remember him as the man who chose Pan Africanism as opposed to Arabism. He protected Libya’s precious oil resources from the western vultures by refusing to embrace capitalism.

Labels: LIBYA, MUAMMAR AL-GADDAFI, NEOCOLONIALISM

posted by MrK @ 6:05 AM