Naija Political Blog

As a follow-up to the last article on this subject, it is gratifying to report that three more dictators have lost their grips on power. Two lost their jobs as a result of the uprising in the Arab world, while one as a result of French and United Nations involvement. It is sad to note that amongst these three dictators, Muammar Gaddafi the former strong man of Libya lost his life under very tragic and humiliating circumstances. Laurent Gbagbo the former president of the Ivory Coast who had refused to step down after losing to Alassane Ouattara in the November 2010 presidential elections in spite of numerous mediation efforts by the ECOWAS, the Africa Union, The UN and the European Union was kicked out of office in April 2011. These bodies had demanded his resignation imposing severe economic sanctions that crippled the economy of the country but failed to push him out of power. Instead, it took devastating air strikes by French and UN helicopters to help end Mr. Gbagbo’s gamble to defy the international community. He was captured like a common criminal in April and taken into custody by his rival. The rest like they say is now history.

Unfortunately for the former Libyan strong man, Muammar Gaddafi’s luck ran out in October 20, 2011. Inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, the people of Benghazi began their own Arab Spring in February 2011. Their uprising soon spread across the country. The late dictator could have realized that with the United Nations passing a no-fly zone resolution in which fighter jets were deployed by NATO to protect the people of Benghazi, the end was near for him. He could have prevented the bloodshed and devastation that ensued after these uprising by making a deal with the rebels and peacefully relinquishing power, keep his vast wealth and quietly go into exile. However, blinded by the arrogance of power, the dictator fought back and fought a losing battle. In an interview with a BBC reporter, during the uprising, the deranged dictator told the reporter his people loved him, will fight and die for him. After months of hiding and trying to make an escape out of the country, Muammar Gaddifi was captured in his birth place of Sirte in October and killed like a dog. He also lost one of his sons during this battle. It was very sad to see his corpse and that of his son displayed in a make shift morgue where the people he thought loved him were taking pictures of his dead body after they had celebrated his demise.

Another victim of the Arab Spring was former president Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen. He had ruled that country since 1978. Inspired by the revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, the people of Yemen took to the streets calling for Saleh to step down. He responded by calling for a number of political reforms which were rejected by the protesters. It is interesting that these uprising, earned a Yemeni woman a Nobel Prize for peace nomination. Her nomination brought increased worldwide attention and spotlight to the uprising in Yemen. After months of bloodshed in which scores of people were killed and injured, president Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced to resign a week ago in a deal brokered by Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries.