On this day, seventy years ago, Libya gained its independence by a decision of the General Assembly of the United Nations, concluding a long march of struggle that passed through several stages, including the armed struggle against the Italian invasion led by the Sheikh of Martyrs Omar Al-Mukhtar, and after the arrest and execution of the elderly Sheikh and the change in international circumstances at that time with the defeat of the Axis Powers and the emergence of the United Nations, the struggle moved to the corridors of the newly born United Nations with a hope of achieving independence, what was accomplished after a great effort from a group of honest Libyans who stood up for it and finally had what they sought for, and Libya became an independent country. Libya then became a full member of the international community and afterwards contributed in the establishment of African Unity, thereafter having the most prominent role in transforming this venerable organization into the African Union.
We in Libya are proud of our African affiliation as we are also proud of our pioneering role in developing and upgrading the structures of our continental organization.
Regardless the fact that Libya today suffers from problems related mainly to the wrong interventions that exacerbated the situation over many years until it got to where it has reached today, ranging from fragmentation in its institutions and a decline in the services provided to its people, and a deterioration in the standard of living of the citizen who happened to be the most affected by the political, security and social instability, as it also suffers from freezing of its assets, restrictions on flights, and the travel of citizens.
Many international and regional organizations have left the Libyan territory. Libya, at the same time, boasts of natural resources extending over a huge area of one million, 760 thousand square kilometers, and a coastline of 1900 km, the longest among the African countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and a population close to seven (7) million, with a very low population density (3.74 people/square kilometer), for comparison, the average population density in the world is 14.7 people per square kilometer. In addition to that, Libya boasts of a proud people that refuses to allow any external party to control their country, and faces all dictates, which seek to impose any system or ideology on the governing of the country.
A people who are fully aware of what happened to their country, and fully appreciative of the international efforts and the efforts of brothers and friends to find ways out of the crisis in Libya, the solution therefore should be by the Libyans themselves, cutting off all the blatant interventions that took place since 2011, until this day, and attempts to impose a certain vision, to serve certain geopolitical interests.
Especially since Libya is practically a virgin land, full of treasures that have not yet been discovered, which is what makes it the focus of attention and coveted by many in the world.
The stability and prosperity of Libya will serve a significant contribution to the stability and prosperity of the countries of this continent, building its independent future, and enjoying freedom and sovereignty over its lands, after a century of exhausting the continent’s natural resources, and then its human resources.
That is why the countries of the continent, individually and within the framework of the Union, should work towards aiding Libya to gain its stability, and the faster that happens, the more value added to the efforts to advance our dear continent.
Some groups and personalities, who rather unfortunately, seek to obstruct the democratic path in Libya that is agreed upon by the international community, and supported by neighboring countries and the African continent at large, given the importance of Libya to the stability of the southern coast of the Mediterranean basin, Africa, and the Arab world, only do so for fear of the rise of this great continent with its enormous human potentials and natural resources, which, despite its organized and chaotic looting, are still replete with many of them.
The hands of the clock only moves forward, and surely Libya will start a fresh page based on what the world has witnessed with regards the momentum towards the democratic process, in terms of the massive turnout of people to register in the elections, the high number of candidates in the race for the presidential seat and parliamentary seats, which propagates unlimited confidence in a bright future for Libya, bypassing the crises of the past, and healing the wounds of its children.
It is also necessary to turn over the page on the differences of the past, and for all those who had regional, tribal, ethnic or even ideological differences to join the ranks of the Libyan people, to mobilize all their abilities and capabilities in creating a constructive atmosphere for fair and transparent elections worthy of the Libyan people, for the new Libya must start with personalities open to all bar none, with a high level of competence and acceptance by the majority of the Libyan people, uniting and not separating them, as well as looking for common grounds to operate and not differences, ethnic and ideological classifications.
I am absolutely certain that the Libyan people are a people who appreciate the magnitude of the tragedy they have gone through, and nothing more than the civil war and fratricidal fighting teaches what life means, and what the concepts of stability, security, peace and prosperity mean.
The Libyans will succeed together in choosing the competencies that will save their country from its long repression, enhance the atmosphere of reconciliation and understanding and overcoming the past.
No one wins in a civil war, rather, everyone loses in it. Neither side will impose its viewpoint by force in light of the post-Coronavirus world, the virus that has managed and is still able to defeat us all, without war tanks or cannons. What wins is logic, what wins is achievements on the ground, what wins is serving the Libyan citizen, raising the issues of the people and the supreme Libyan interest above any whims, political or personal interests.
The Libyans know exactly what their current problems are, how to get out of them, and making use of the Libyan capabilities to serve the Libyan society.
The priority after the elections, which we hope will take place as scheduled, or if it is postponed, then let it be for a short time, should be unifying the Libyan army under a unified banner that preserves the rights of all officers and military without exclusion, legalize the situation of the weapons deployed in Libya, secure the vast borders of the large Libyan state, look out for the interests of the Libyan nation and give them priority over any narrow partisan, tribal or regional interests, and do everything possible to avert any conflict, God forbid. We hope that African and Arab countries will always help the Libyan people to overcome their ordeal.
There is no doubt that Ghana is one of these countries on which we Libyans are relying, knowing well the depth of our bonds, and through the human capabilities which Ghana possesses with experience in peacekeeping operations and conflict resolution and there is also no doubt in saying that through Ghana’s non-permanent seat in the Security Council, it will be a voice for its Libyan brothers, communicating their woes and hopes in the international community with sincerity and enthusiasm, and this is what a brother hopes from his brother.
An entire generation of patriots, who are educated, aware, and experienced, from the sons of modern Libya, will not allow Libya to turn into a failed state.
