March 11, 2011 By Jimmy Kainja
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The United State of America, United Kingdom, European Union (EU), United Nations (UN) and International Criminal Court (ICC) have all been on the forefront searching for ‘solutions’ and calling for resignation of Colonel Muamer Gaddafi following his crushing of Libyan protesters who are calling for an end to Gaddafi’s 42 years of tyrannical rule.
The international response to the crisis underscores the importance of Libya, as a country. America has taken hypocritical step of endorsing the ICC indictment of Gaddafi and his innercircle even though America does not recognise the ICC. Academics with links to the Gaddafis have been forced to resign, under pressure from the Western media; and celebrities that earned money from the Gaddafis have been forced to donate the money to charity. Yet we are not told who sold Gaddafi the weapons he is using to kill his own people, which is arguably the most important piece of the jigsaw.
These double standards show that Libya is not an ordinary country. Libya has the most sought after and increasingly scarce commodity: oil. This is why an equally appalling situation in Cote d’Ivoire where people are being killed and freeing the country in large numbers is playing a second fiddle to Libya. Cote d’Ivoire is the world’s largest producer of cocoa. But then it is simple mathematics: oil is more important and more precious than chocolate and cakes! Lethargic African Union can sort out the Cote d’Ivoire fiasco (the chocolates) while the West will deal with Gaddafi’s “madness” (the oil).
Any leader that kills their own people have to go. And, of course, the international community ought to ensure that such people are punished accordingly. Gaddafi is no exception, it is only right that he is held accountable for his actions. Yet the response by the Western powers to the crises in Libya has nothing to do with numbers of dead, injured and displaced people or Gaddafi’s iron fist; it has everything to do with Libya’s oil.
If the response had anything to do with humanitarian situation, Why have the Western governments and the UN not responded in the same manner in Cote d’Ivoire? Why have the ICC not charged anyone for the killing of innocent unarmed female protesters in Cote d’Ivoire? The fact that no-one in the Cote d’Ivoire has received formal charges or any meaningful sanctions, compared to that of Gaddafi’s, is a testimony that humanitarian situation in Libya has only provided a perfect pretext for the West to get their hands on Oil.
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