Sunday, April 10, 2011

Why is Libya so difficult?

Some thought about what is needed to solve the situation in Libya.

First an armistice:
- The West should go to Gaddafi, the East to the rebels. It doesn't matter where the border comes exactly as long as there will be a wide stretch of desert in between so that compliance can easily be checked.
- this leaves Misurata - the only town in the West where the rebels still are strong. One might consider a kind of neutral status for that city.

Then negotiations:
- keep in mind that Libya with its tribes is much more African than Egypt and Tunisia. The African countries are watching the events with at least as much interest as the Arab countries.
- Gaddafi should leave, but with honor. He might retire inside Libya, for example near Sirte.
- for the continuity it is best when much of Gaddafi's officials stay. Firing competent people for being of the wrong group is an expensive move - as Iraq and Kosovo can testify.
- aim for an agreement instead of a victory of one of the two parties. Having one of the sides win in an ethnic conflict can lead to many years of trouble.
- keep in mind that the goal is more freedom - both economic and of speech. Democracy is a means to achieve that - not a goal in itself.

3 comments:

prasad said...

Now Libya is fighting with NATO forces from so many days but it gains nothing both sides so many people have died and lot of people are injured with this war so Libya should think of it. No one can gain anything with this war. Only peace talks are the best solution for this problem.

Anonymous said...

"Gaddafi should leave, but with honor. He might retire inside Libya, for example near Sirte."

That's a show-stopper. The man who ordered the execution of tens of thousands of civilians over his 41 year socialist rule should not escape justice.

The complete defeat of the regime is the best solution.

Wim Roffel said...

"The complete defeat of the regime is the best solution"

Do you think that that is worth its price of thousands of deaths?