Muammar Gaddafi, a man known for his flamboyant lifestyle, his often outrageous comments and his vicious rule of Libya, was killed on the 20th of October 2011.
He was despised by the Western world for the first two decades of his rule and then gained their friendship in the 1990’s. It was the West that would ultimately contribute to his fall.
In 1961, Gaddafi entered the military college in the city of Benghazi and rose in the military ranks ultimately joining a movement of young officers, wanting to overthrow King Idris.
In September 1969, King Idris was deposed and Gaddafi was named Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, Libya’s new ruling body.
Gaddafi the ruler
Gaddafi shut down the American and British military bases in Libya. He also demanded that foreign oil companies in Libya share a bigger portion of revenue with the country. Gaddafi replaced the Gregorian calendar with the Islamic one and forbid the sale of alcohol.
In the 1970’s Gaddafi published the Green Book, which describes the problems with liberal democracy and capitalism and promotes Gaddafi’s policies as the remedy. He appointed himself or close family and friends to all positions of power.
Gaddafi’s notoriety
He was well known for being eccentric, employing a fist of female bodyguards, considering himself the King of Africa and erecting tents to stay in when he travelled abroad.
In addition to his oppressive rule at home, Gaddafi was despised by much of the international community. His government was implicated in the financing of many anti-western groups, including some terror plots.
In the 1980’s Gaddafi’s ‘peoples’ committees’ called for Libyan dissidents living abroad to be assassinated. Human Rights Watch claims the regime was responsible for gross human rights abuses.
But his relationship with the West began to improve in the 1990’s, when he renounced terrorism, started sharing information with British and American Intelligence officials and abandoned efforts to develop weapons of mass destruction.
In 1994, President Nelson Mandela persuaded Gaddafi to hand over the suspects from the Lockerbie bombing.
Arab Spring
Tensions boiled over in January 2011, when the Tunisian revolution forced out longtime dictator Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. The next month, Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak was forced out. This sparked protests in Libya, with protesters demanding an end to Gaddafi’s rule.
By the end of February, the opposition had gained control over much of Libya and the rebels formed a governing body called The National Transitional Council.
At the end of March, a NATO coalition began to provide support to rebel forces, in the form of airstrikes and a no-fly zone.
In April, a NATO attack killed one of Gaddafi’s sons and in June the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of Gaddafi, his son Seif al-Islam and his brother-in-law for crimes against humanity.
In July, more than 30 countries recognised the NTC as the legitimate government of Libya. Gaddafi had lost control of Libya and his whereabouts remained unknown.
Gaddafi’s death
The final, bloody moments of his life were shrouded in mystery, with conflicting reports on who killed him. Some said he died in a gun battle near his hometown of Surt, while others said he was killed in a NATO aerial attack. Images of his bloodied and bruised body circulated around the world, as his opponents celebrated.
For many Libyans, his death was seen as liberation and an end to years of oppression.
Some of Gaddafi’s most notorious quotes
"I will stay in Libya until I die, or until the end of the time God allows me to live."
"Because of biological defects, a woman's place is in the home." (Speaking on women's rights)
"I am not such a dictator that I would shut down Facebook. I merely imprison anyone who logs onto it."
"Were it not for electricity, we would have to watch television in the dark!"
"I cannot recognise either the Palestinian state or the Israeli state. The Palestinians are idiots and the Israeli's are idiots."
"Libyans do not know Denmark, they do not hate Denmark. They know Italy and they hate Italy."
* Some information provided by www.biography.com