Published on October 21st, 2011 |
by Joe Hinds
Image ©
[caption id="attachment_4809" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="The new Libyan Government is now faced with the mammoth task of nation-building from scratch © UPI/Allan Tannenbaum/Pool"]
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The international community has seemed to be in high spirits since the news broke yesterday of Muammar Gaddafi's capture and death, while the subsequent onslaught of cheering euphoric Libyans, relieved politicians and images of Gaddafi's bloodied corpse have flooded international news stations and papers around the world. Whilst the 20th of October 2011 will now forever be remembered as a major date within the Libyan calendar it is likely to, in reality, be little more than merely a symbolic victory for the people of Libya in the long run as it is what happens now, not what has happened over recent months, that will really shape Libya and the nation that it is to become.
Today marks a new era for Libya. It can now, finally, move forward and build the nation that the Libyan people want. However, that is far easier said than done. A major priority for the new government must be to disarm the militias that are still at large within the country in the search for the missing Gaddafi family member. With the former dictator now gone, for sure, the Libyan government must ensure that those who have been fighting for the country lay down their weapons and return to their previous civilian lives. This will be no simple task but unnecessary violence will not aid the country further.
Whilst there is sure to be a backlash against the death of Gaddafi from irreconcilable supporters of the old regime, with his death at the hands of the rebels sure to make for an easy mythology of martyrdom, the primary task for the new government must not be to quell this but rather to ensure that the process of re-building a country that has been torn apart by eight months of revolution and civil war.
With the physical challenge and armed struggle more or less over, an even tougher battle plagues the country; the battle to build a unified government over a united country. And guns will not win this battle.
Gaddafi’s Gone – What’s Next For Libya?
The new Libyan Government is now faced with the mammoth task of nation-building from scratch © UPI/Allan Tannenbaum/Pool
The international community has seemed to be in high spirits since the news broke yesterday of Muammar Gaddafi’s capture and death, while the subsequent onslaught of cheering euphoric Libyans, relieved politicians and images of Gaddafi’s bloodied corpse have flooded international news stations and papers around the world. Whilst the 20th of October 2011 will now forever be remembered as a major date within the Libyan calendar it is likely to, in reality, be little more than merely a symbolic victory for the people of Libya in the long run as it is what happens now, not what has happened over recent months, that will really shape Libya and the nation that it is to become.
Today marks a new era for Libya. It can now, finally, move forward and build the nation that the Libyan people want. However, that is far easier said than done. A major priority for the new government must be to disarm the militias that are still at large within the country in the search for the missing Gaddafi family member. With the former dictator now gone, for sure, the Libyan government must ensure that those who have been fighting for the country lay down their weapons and return to their previous civilian lives. This will be no simple task but unnecessary violence will not aid the country further.
Whilst there is sure to be a backlash against the death of Gaddafi from irreconcilable supporters of the old regime, with his death at the hands of the rebels sure to make for an easy mythology of martyrdom, the primary task for the new government must not be to quell this but rather to ensure that the process of re-building a country that has been torn apart by eight months of revolution and civil war.
With the physical challenge and armed struggle more or less over, an even tougher battle plagues the country; the battle to build a unified government over a united country. And guns will not win this battle.
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