August 23 is the anniversary of The Battle of Tripoli in 2011. On August 23, rebel forces in Libya, supported by NATO airstrikes, were able to capture Bab al-Azizia, ending the rule of Muammar Gaddafi. He would be killed the following month and Libya would be plunged into chaos.

Events began earlier in the year with the Arab spring. A series of violent clashes with rebels ensued, leaving hundreds dead. Fighting intensified, and the UN authorised a no fly zone over Libya and military action to “protect civilians”. This is where the US led NATO decides to start bombing Libya. They launch airstrikes on government forces, allowing the rebels to advance towards Tripoli. With the aid of NATO, the rebellion is successful, and Gaddafi is assassinated. NATO claimed that no civilians were harmed in the operation. The truth is somewhat different. NATO also attacked water facilities vital to the survival of the Libyan people. This is a war crime.

Twelve years later, Libya is a shadow of its former self. Under Gaddafi, Libya had achieved the highest GDP and life expectancy in Africa, and few people lived in poverty. Education, medical treatment, and even housing were considered human rights. Now, the country has faced a decade of war and strife. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced. Tens of thousands are dead. Gaddafi’s dream of a unified Africa is no more.

This was not a mission to protect civilians. If that were the case, NATO would not have bombed water facilities vital to civilians. And where was NATO in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or Sudan? This was a deliberate attack on Libya’s government, and especially Gadaffi and his family. Robert Mugabe, president of Zimbabwe put it very well in a UN address. Why? Was it because of Libya’s oil? Was it the prospect of a Unified Africa? Perhaps it was the prospect of a Pan African Currency? Perhaps is was merely sabre rattling to convince other Arab states to do the US’ bidding. We might never know the motive.