When France led others including the UK to attack Libya, only their ego was in display. They were not challenged in their home countries, they acted without opposition. They had no forethought for their actions. They had the immediate gratification of removing an old enemy. They had no sense of history or geography. They were of not aware of African parables including, if you shit, you have no right to the flight path of the flies.
Libya is a small country but with huge resources which their big leader invested in his people while keeping them occupied with external fires in order to keep himself in power. Idle minds seeks political freedoms but if busy, happy to enjoy the fruits of their economy, which the Libyans did. The West in its arrogance, it’s s self belief that simple third world countries can not arrange their own affairs intervened in Libya with dire consequences for countries north and south of Libya.
Libya was turned into Somali with money. The state dissolved and private 18th century armies created their various fiefdoms. Arms flow from Libya devastated Mali, and some think entered the Nigerian Northeast.
Now with no central authority in Libya, it is now a main source of refugees from Africa to Europe. Economic and political refugees from Nigeria to Libya now seek salvation in Europe using the collapsed state that was Libya.
ISIS now has a foothold in Africa.
Yet no word of regret from European politicians on the folly of their Libyan adventure. Even Africans are not gloating saying “We told you so”. This means the West will continue its ill thought out adventures and the merry go round will continue.
The Nigerian government must do more to educate its people that the rat run through the Sahara to costal North Africa is not worth their lives. And give the opportunities to make their lives matter in their home country.
In Europe its citizens must electorally punish its governments engaging in ill fated adventures. They must understand that a mothers who beats a child to sleep will not sleep while the child cries.
Centre for Nigeria Progress 