São Paulo – International heads of state have reacted to the news that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been captured and killed this Thursday (20) in Sirte, his hometown, by sending messages of support to the building of democracy. Gaddafi, who seized power in the country in 1969, had been missing since August, when the rebels who took up arms against his regime took over Tripoli, the Libyan capital.
The dictator’s death at the age of 69 has been confirmed by Mahmoud Jibril, the prime minister of the National Transitional Council (NTC), which is the Libyan provisional government.
The Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, currently on a trip to Angola, Africa, stated that the world must support the democratic process in Libya. “I believe that Libya is undergoing a process democratic change. Now, that does not mean that we are celebrating the death of whatever leader it may be. The fact is that it (Libya) is experiencing a democratic process is something everyone should, I don’t think celebrate is the right word, but support, encourage, because what we really want is for countries to be able to live in internal peace and democracy,” she said.
Earlier today, the Brazilian foreign minister, Antonio Patriota, stated that he hopes violence in Libya will come to an end. “Brazil hopes that violence in Libya will cease, that military operations are over, and that the Libyans may proceed with their aspirations and yearnings, in the spirit of dialogue and reconstruction,” he said.
The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, preached unity and a ceasefire. “This day marks a historic transition for Libya. In the coming days, we will witness scenes of celebration as well as grief for those who lost so much. Now is the time for all Libyans to come together,” he said. “Combatants on all sides must lay down their arms in peace. This is the time for healing and rebuilding, for generosity of spirit, not for revenge,” he added.
The United States president, Barack Obama, spoke on the end of the authoritarian regime that lasted decades. “For four decades, the Gaddafi regime ruled the Libyan people with an iron fist. Their human rights were denied. Innocent civilians were detained, beaten and killed. Libya’s wealth was squandered and enormous potential of Libyan people was held back and terror was used as a political weapon. Today we can definitively say that the Gaddafi regime has come to an end,” he said.
The uprising in Libya began in February, in the aftermath of rebellions which erupted in Tunisia and Egypt, leading to the downfall of dictators Zine El Abdine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak, respectively. The regime reacted harshly, causing the death of protesters.
The struggle between Gaddafi and his opponents escalated into civil confrontation. In March, following news of bombings against the civil population by the regime, the UN Security Council authorized a no-fly zone over Libya, paving the way for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) to attack government targets. Foreign military intervention was crucial for rebels to resume their march to seize power, as they had been losing positions to the forces loyal to the dictator.
For the duration of the conflict, never did Gaddafi tone down his challenging rhetoric, and promised to fight his opponents until death, which proved true in the end.
To the French president, Nicolas Sarcozy, the “disappearance” of the Libyan colonel was a “major step forward in the battle fought for more than eight months by the Libyan people to liberate themselves from the dictatorial and violent regime imposed on them for more than 40 years.”
Along similar lines, the British prime minister, David Cameron, stated that “people in Libya today have an even greater chance after this news of building themselves a strong and democratic future.”
The German foreign minister, Angela Merkel, added that the country must take quick steps toward democracy “make the achievements so far of the Arab Spring irreversible.”
*With information from Agência Brasil and the Al Jazeera website. Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
