It is over eight years since former Libyan leader; Muammar Gaddafi was assassinated by rebel groups aided by NATO on October 20, 2011.
Before his death and in the head of the uprising, Gaddafi granted a rear interview to British-Iranian journalist, Christiane Amanpour of CNN.
Amanpour and the world, in general, were keen to hear from Gaddafi after Tripoli was captured. The international press claimed the protests were because the Libyan people wanted Gaddafi out of power.
“These are not my people; this is Al-Qaeda, terrorists”, Gadaffi who came to the meeting venue without an escort told Christiane Amanpour and the other journalists.
Muammar Gaddafi told the world that there was more love. Till death, he stood on his words that his people will do him no harm because they loved him.
He blamed the uprising on a terrorist group backed by international governments, but no one believed him. Gaddafi would later die in the hands of a group of rebels after he was humiliated and assaulted.
Eight years on, and it appears Gaddafi was right after all. Not only has former United States president, Barrack Obama publicly apologized for his involvement in Gaddafi’s death, but the American government has also dissociated itself from the assassination.
All those who claimed Gaddafi was the problem of Libya and those who believed the claim would no doubt feel guilty considering the turn of events in the country since the death of Gaddafi.
The country is a war zone, and despite the appointment of a UN-supported government, the rebels under the command of General Khalifa Hiftar has continued to engage government forces and lay strongholds on crucial territories in the country.
The significant part in the situation is that Gaddafi saw this coming and warned not just his people, but all of Africa, but no one believed him.
A no-fly zone embargo has been imposed over the Libyan capital Tripoli’s airspace. On Wednesday a spokesman for the Libyan National Army revealed the move in a televised speech.
Ahmed al-Mosmari said the current no-fly zone would be expanded to include the city’s Mitiga airport, which has operated sporadically in recent months due to strikes.
According to Brigadier General Ahmed al-Mosmari, spokesman of the Libyan National Army (LNA):
“The General Command of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces announces the expansion of the previously announced air embargo zone to include the Mitiga (international) airport and military airbase, as of the hour of this statement announcement at 5 pm, Wednesday, January 8, 2020.
“So, air transport companies must observe this and fully and immediately adhere to the text of this announcement and not expose their aircraft to the risk of destruction.”
The announcement came as General Khalifa Hiftar’s eastern-based forces launched a fresh offensive against Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj’s UN-backed government in Tripoli.
On Monday, the LNA said they captured the strategic coastal city of Sirte after an operation lasting for approximately three hours.
Libya is currently governed by feuding authorities, with the LNA in the east, and the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli in the west, with each relying on different militias.