The Ongoing Arab/Libya Revolution and International Diplomacy

”After half a century during which tyrants have ruled the Arab world, their control is weakening. After 40 years of decaying stability, the rot is eating into the stability. The Arab masses will no longer accept what they used to accept. The Arab elites will no longer remain silent”.- Ari Shavit; the Arab Revolution and the Western decline. How true are the words above on developments around the Arab community in recent times? The revolution started from Tunisia, down to Egypt, replicated in Yemen and Algeria, and most recently the heat is now on Gadhafi in Libya.

Little did 26-year old Mohammed Bouazizi of Tunisia knew that his action would trigger a revolution to spread to other Arab nations when he set himself ablaze in the impoverished city of Sidi Bouzid, 300 kilometers from Tunis, the Tunisian capital. Mohammed Bouazizi’s December 17, 2011 action (he died untimely in January 4, 2011) led to the disgraceful end of a 23-year old administration of Tunisian dictator, President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, the 30-year rule of Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak; and with the 41year rule of Muammar Gadhafi hanging in the balance. With the revolution spreading fast and deadly like contagious flu, the tragedy is that no single Arab country has immunity against this plague; no single Arab country practices sustainable democracy.

When the Middle East sneezes, the world catches cold as it were. If Mohammed Bouazizi had carried out his self immolation in other part of the world, it would have been doubtful if his death would have had the same impact as it does now. Until and unless an alternative and sustainable source of energy dethrones crude oil, the Middle East and by extension the Arab world will remain strategically important to the global economy to a worrisome extent. According to the International Energy Agency, ‘Middle Eastern producers will supply 50 percent of U.S oil imports, 50 percent of Europe, 80 percent of China’s, and 90 percent of Japans by 2030’.

The statistics above indicate that the survival and sustainability of the world powers and G-7 nations lies heavily in the Middle East. Crude oil from economic realities will, until an alternative source of energy is developed, continue to drive the world’s economy. As shown above, this is highly concentrated in the Middle East, though other nations such as Nigeria and Libya in Africa are also endowed with this natural resource. However, because the pace of crude oil production centers in the Middle East, that region remains to a large extent politically, economically and socially relevant to the other regions of the world. Hence, the present revolution going on in some oil-riched nations need to be objectively and holistically examined vis-à-vis their political and economic relevance. The present civil unrest going on in Libya brings this to the fore. It is imperative to examine the role of local and international bodies on the unceasing struggle for liberation by Libyans. Libya under President Gadhafi is a signatory to the Arab league, the African Union and by extension the United Nations Organization. Libya’s oil makes it economically relevant to member nations in the Arab bloc and to the international community.

The A.U was founded in Sirte, Gadhafi’s hometown in 1999, and has been well funded with Libya’s oil wealth. The A.U’s initial silence of the uprising in North Africa was criticized by many in Africa including a  public statement by Gambia’s Yahya Jameh. The A.U like other regional and international organizations including the Arab league, has a set of objectives which include respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states (includling respect for Human Rights and observation of the U.N charter on Human Rights). The A.U at the beginning of the Libyan crisis was heavily involved with the situation in Cote D’Ivoire – a country with an internal strife but of no apparent relevance or importance to the West. Through its Peace and Security Council, the A.U has put in place a coalition of Heads of States Panel (includling political leaders of S/Africa, Uganda, Mauritania, etc) to look into the situation in Libya on a fact-finding mission and forward possible recommendations. Until recently, the U.N security council through a resolution passed a ‘no fly zone’ law on Libya, adopted also by the Arab league, though it (Arab league) differs on the bombing strategy as embarked upon by the the U.S, U.K and France. This has resulted in Gadhafi’s declaration of cease fire in major parts of the country where his loyalists are in a deadlock to the opposition.

Many political observers and concerned individuals have proposed a military intervention in the ousting of Gaddafi from power. However, as noted above, the U.N, A.U and Arab league will to a large extent respect the sovereignty of Libya as an independent nation. In my view, it is imperative as it was in previous movements (Tunisia and Egypt), and as indicated in the opening quote of this piece, that concerned bodies such as the U.N, A.U and Arab League, regardless of the political and economic relevance of Libya as an oil-rich nation, weigh the over 40-years of Gaddafi’s administration on abuse of power, gross indiscipline, corruption, disregard for human rights as alleged by opposition. The U.N, A.U and Arab League though recognizing the sovereignty of Libya, should never display a ‘blind eye’  to human rights and related abuses alleged on Gaddafi. If the findings of the panel and its subsequent recommendations reveals a gross abuse of power, then the law should take its rightful course as universally accepted under the charters of the U.N and other relevant bodies. Nobody is above the law, Gaddafi is not above the law. If he is found wanting after a thorough investigation, he should be made to face the wrath of the law.

As fervently addressed in an earlier article, Gaddafi must come to terms with the fact that true sovereignty lies in the hands of the people of Libya and not in an individual. He should remember, if forgotten, that autocratic heroes such as Pharaoh of Egypt, Alexander the Great of Greece, Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany during the second World -war are now in the book of history. He should respond to the call for a CHANGE from his people. Libyans, regardless of what the international community and constituted bodies are doing right now or plans to do, should learn to localize the global in there approach towards a national Change. All concerned agencies must work jointly towards the same goal; respect for rule of law, good governance and a sustainable democratic rule in Libya. The global community and especially Africans eagerly awaits the liberation of of the Libyan people.

SOLOMON JOHNSON.