Five years ago, after the Tunisian and Egyptian uprisings, I was sitting in Cairo, wondering if Libya would follow suit. A part of me wished it wouldn’t. Not because the people of Libya didn’t deserve the chance to decide their own futures – they did. But the cost could be dear – and it was.
Libyans, for years, had tolerated and suffered the rule of a man who overthrew a monarch who was instrumental in bringing the modern state of Libya into being. King Idris was not perfect, but he established the beginning of institutions that could have been developed, turning Libya into one of the leading states of the Arab world.
The constitution he promulgated was placed on the shelf, replaced by Muammar Qaddafi's Green Book – a non-philosophy which no one misses. In contrast, the constitution of 1951 remains a great inspiration to many in Libya to this day while a new constitution is being written.
On February 17, Libyans should have been in a position to remember the sacrifices of their martyrs, standing in the international community as a symbol of what a free people can do against tyranny.
Instead, the country has been the subject of much internecine conflict, with different forces within it being manipulated as proxies of regional powers. One group of Libyans is celebrating not the liberation of the country from tyrannical rule, but the taking of one of its cities, Derna, by forces aligned to ISIL – hardly the sort of commemoration anyone should be noting with pleasure.
For far too long, Libyans have been left to the wayside of the international community’s scope of concern – and as a result, their country has been allowed to tear itself almost apart. It has only been the perseverance of some Libyans that has held the country together, while in other circumstances it might have disintegrated entirely. But their resolve cannot be left unaided any longer. Libyans have already sacrificed so very much and the international community has to live up to its responsibilities.
What happens in Libya does not simply stay in Libya. The breakdown of order has repercussions for countries on its borders who rightly fear the spillover of instability and militancy that has already cost many lives. But the repercussions could extend further. Libya is not so far from Europe, and the possibility of even more refugees heading north across the Mediterranean cannot be discounted.
When it comes to ISIL, Libya was underestimated for a long time. That was a mistake. ISIL sees the country as a natural next launching pad – and this extremist organisation cannot be allowed to scavenge Libya for its own nefarious designs.
Nor can dissent within the country be interpreted solely through the lens of counter-terrorism, as though all of the people on one side are fighting terrorism and all those on the other be described as terrorists. The splits among Libyans cannot be permitted to be instrumentalised externally for partisan gains – that only leads to more conflict and strife for every Libyan.
The weight of regional forces and international powers should be used for only two things: to bring Libyans together to build their country together on a solid footing, and to ensure ISIL is dealt a crippling blow. Not so that ISIL is contained, but so that it is removed from the lives of Libyans.
That will mean the creation, and then strengthening of Libyan institutions – for all Libyans, and not for one group at the expense of others. Libya has been through a great trauma and it urgently needs healing. Transitional justice is not an optional luxury for Libyans, it is as dire a security need as any other.
Security sector reform, including the removal of the gun from politics, is likewise a necessary step that Libyans must traverse. But that can only take place with a consensus-driven process for Libyans to build their state. Those willing to engage in that internally, and those willing to assist in that from the outside, ought to be considered as welcome. Those who are not should be considered at the very least as obstacles to a better future for Libya. At worst, they are liabilities for the stability of the Libyan state.
Much has happened in the past five years; there have been many sacrifices. But the spirit of Omar Al Mukhtar, the Libyan resistance leader against Italian fascism and colonisation, was present in that uprising in 2011. His spirit, and the spirit of so many who gave their lives, must be respected.
The promise of the Libyan revolution remains, even if fulfilling it remains a task of massive proportions. But that promise remains every Libyan’s right, and far better than anything else on offer.
Dr HA Hellyer is an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, and a non-resident senior fellow at the Rafik Hariri Centre for the Middle East at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC
On Twitter: @hahellyer
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
England squad
Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Dominic Bess, James Bracey, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Ben Foakes, Lewis Gregory, Keaton Jennings, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Saqib Mahmood, Craig Overton, Jamie Overton, Matthew Parkinson, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Amar Virdi, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Company%20Profile
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Mykonos, with a flight change to its partner airline Olympic Air in Athens. Return flights cost from Dh4,105 per person, including taxes.
Where to stay
The modern-art-filled Ambassador hotel (myconianambassador.gr) is 15 minutes outside Mykonos Town on a hillside 500 metres from the Platis Gialos Beach, with a bus into town every 30 minutes (a taxi costs €15 [Dh66]). The Nammos and Scorpios beach clubs are a 10- to 20-minute walk (or water-taxi ride) away. All 70 rooms have a large balcony, many with a Jacuzzi, and of the 15 suites, five have a plunge pool. There’s also a private eight-bedroom villa. Double rooms cost from €240 (Dh1,063) including breakfast, out of season, and from €595 (Dh2,636) in July/August.
Fight card
1. Bantamweight: Victor Nunes (BRA) v Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
2. Featherweight: Hussein Salim (IRQ) v Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
3. Catchweight 80kg: Rashed Dawood (UAE) v Khamza Yamadaev (RUS)
4. Lightweight: Ho Taek-oh (KOR) v Ronald Girones (CUB)
5. Lightweight: Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) v Damien Lapilus (FRA)
6. Bantamweight: Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) v Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
7. Featherweight: Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
8. Flyweight: Shannon Ross (TUR) v Donovon Freelow (USA)
9. Lightweight: Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Dan Collins (GBR)
10. Catchweight 73kg: Islam Mamedov (RUS) v Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM)
11. Bantamweight World title: Jaures Dea (CAM) v Xavier Alaoui (MAR)
12. Flyweight World title: Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
About%20My%20Father
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UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.