The new, free Libya, has been doing its utmost to show normality and the spirit of re-building a shattered nation.
Last night, Libyan Transitional National Council Chairman Mustafa Mohammed Abdul Jalil and Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril paid a visit to Malta, where they met Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi at his office in Castille. Just a week ago, UK Premier David Cameron and French President Nikolas Sarkozy paid a visit to Tripoli, where they were shown around and greeted as heroes.
Yes, Libya has done remarkably well, and they certainly seem to mean business. The goodwill also seems to be there and they are certainly repaying those that helped the Libyan people in putting their trust in them over business matters.
Libya is ripe for development. They have vast oil reserves and the people are riding on the feel-good factor that democratic reform has brought about. But, at the time of writing, Gaddafi had not yet been found, and neither had his son Seif Al-Islam. While many thought that the Gaddafis were done for as soon as they left Tripoli, this has not at all been the case. One has to make the transition now, and call the ‘rebels’ Libyan soldiers. Rag-tag they may be, but they have been remarkably versatile and resourceful, albeit with a little help from Nato.
The Libyan ‘army’ is now advancing on Sirte and Bani Walid, but there is plenty of stiff resistance. Sirte is out in the open desert plain, just off the coast, and still the anti-Gaddafi fighters are being made to advance inch by inch, and pay in blood. Bani Walid is a whole different ball game. The terrain is rough and follows a natural wadi, making it difficult for anyone to make any headway in taking the town.
And all the while, Muammar Gaddafi continues to plot and plan in some secret location. Many believe him to still be in Libya, but others think he has now gone elsewhere. Libya, and indeed the world, must hope that Gaddafi is caught and brought to justice. It is clear now, that even at the very end, just like Adolf Hitler, this man still has fanatical followers who are willing to go to the grave with him. Unless Gaddafi is taken out of the equation, one way or another, then free Libya will have no peace. There will be insurgency and terrorism, even abroad.
Even with Gaddafi senior out of the picture, there is still heir-apparent Seif. Whether or not he would continue to wage war without his father being around is another matter. We shall possibly have to wait and see. If he remains in Libya, then he would probably continue to do so. There is nothing as dangerous as a cornered animal. Muammar Gaddafi is cornered, and goodness only knows what ace he has up his sleeve. Libya must continue to rebuild its infrastructure. Perhaps more difficult is the task of building up a democratic framework in which everything from the courts, to army selection and planning permission must be created from scratch. But at the same time, they must not lose sight of the ultimate goal, and that is capturing Gaddafi, and hopefully subjecting him to trial. Time will tell.