Is Libya's revolution anniversary cause for celebration?
It seems Libyans have nothing to celebrate on the eighth anniversary of its revolution.
If revolutions are judged by the progress they make and progressive changes they initiate in their societies, then the so-called Libyan revolution, named “February 17 Revolution,” has very little to show.
The revolt that started on Feb. 17, 2011, in Benghazi in eastern Libya was hailed as another episode of the Arab Spring that had already swept through Tunisia and Egypt. However, the "Libyan Spring" turned out to be a journey full of despair, bloodshed and insecurity, and peaked in civil war drawing in foreign military intervention. Alleging to protect Libyan civilians against Moammer Gadhafi’s government, NATO forces spearheaded military intervention, by bombing the country for seven months from March to October 2011, eventually toppling the regime.
Eight years on and the country is still groaning under the burden of divisions, lack of effective government, rampant militias, occasional small wars and spiraling corruption. Rebuilding anything is yet to start, and all in-progress development projects suspended in the wake of the violence in 2011 are still suspended.
To gauge the mood of fellow Libyans, I turned to Facebook with one question: What is the most important achievement of the revolution that is worth celebrating eight years on? I received over 100 comments representing all walks of life across the country and abroad. It is not a scientific survey, but it does reflect the opinions of ordinary people and gives a glimpse into their thinking and their hopes.
