Tunde Thread

Muammar Al-Gaddafi inherited one of the poorest nations in Africa; however, by the time he was assasinated by agents of imperialism, Gaddafi's policies turned Libya into Africa’s most prosperous nation. Libya had the highest GDP per capita and highest life expectancy in Africa. Less people lived below the poverty line than in most western countries including the UK, France, and America.

Gaddafi was instrumental to the creation of the African Union, so much so that the initial resolution of the African union the 'Sirte Declaration' was signed in the birthplace of Gaddafi, Sirte. Despite Libya being a small nation, Gaddafi paid one quarter of the African Union’s bills. Now the African Union has been reduced to begging the European Union for funds to keep the lights on. Perhaps, Gaddafi’s greatest crime, in the eyes of Nato, was his desire for a strong and United Africa.

In fact, in August 2011, the America confiscated $30 billion from Libya’s Central Bank, which Gaddafi reserved for the establishment of an African Central Bank. Over the last decade, while China’s investment in Africa has risen 10-fold, America has used (AFRICOM, America's military wing in Africa) to establish 10 new military bases on the continent. While China invests in free trade, America tightens its military control. We should all agree that Africa does not need more guns and soldiers; however, the one thing America still forces upon Africa is more guns and soldiers!

Gaddafi stood as a major obstacle to Washington’s military expansion on the continent. Any African government that America offered money to host an AFRICOM military base, Gaddafi would offer double that amount, in order to get them to refuse!

In contrast, the puppet regime now in Libya has recently expressed interest in hosting a new American military base. For AFRICOM the assasination of Gaddafi on the 20th October 2011 was an acomplishment. The objective was not to help the Libyan people, who had the highest standard of living in Africa, but to depose Gaddafi, prevent the establishment of the 'African Dinar', install a Western-controlled central bank, and gain control of Libya’s natural resources.

Perhaps, the greatest legacy of Gaddafi’s life was the manner of his death. He did not look for a sacrificial lamb, but instead chose to be one himself. While Muammar Gaddafi may lie in an unmarked grave in the desert somewhere, he lives on in the hearts and minds of musing and progressive Africans.

CALL TO ACTION: The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Saif al Islam Gaddafi who has just been released from prison and brings hope of resuscitating the socialist Libyan state and reviving the radical politics and humanity that defined his fathers legacy. It is thereby of utmost importance that we all mobilize around him and sign this petition in support of our brother.

✅Sign petition here: http://www.a-aprp-gc.org/sign-now/

Join us: Pan-African Renaissance (Redacted from Herald)

abu khalid.