I and a few African Diaspora spent the best part of last year preparing for a Historic Conference in Tripoli. There were several workshops across European capitals throughout the year. The reason Gaddafi or the Headmaster as he became known amongst us had seen the injustices that Africans in the diaspora suffer at the hands of our hosts in Europe and had decided that something must be done.
He would throw whatever resources that were required to find an answer/solution as he saw it.
Either - A DIGNIFIED LIFE IN EUROPE OR A HAPPY RETURN HOME
On 13th January 2011, he ferried in at least 600 of us from across the world all expenses paid, kings and queens of Africa, Reps from the Pan African government, the African Union commission, Intellectuals, an ex Congress Woman etc
The outcome of this was an agreement to Establish an African Union in the Diaspora with a representative from each of the 6 continents with the Headmaster (KING OF KINGS/BROTHER LEADER as he is referred to in Libya) as the honorary President of this organization.
African Chief
As we deliberated the political situation in Tunisia was unfolding before our very eyes. I got to know a couple fellow delegates from Egypt well during the conference and they would update me on the situation. Ironically back then they thought that Libya would fall next and there was anxiety if this should happen during our stay. But how time flies
As this conference was about the life of African immigrants in Europe, the issue that most speakers at the conference raised time and time again was the need to address the reason why Africans seek to and or migrate to Europe. 
We had reps from the Libyan border control and I can’t tell you folk how distressing the scenes that these folk face in the desert everyday. Scenes of exhausted and often injured Africans trying to make it to Europe were heart wrenching. The video clip was the sort that would require a warning before transmission.
The question on all of our lips was WHY DO FOLK PUT THEMSELVES THROUGH THAT? This is a question I keep asking over and over again at Ethnic Supplies Blog
Some of the most obvious reasons include
- poor governance
- Worklessness
- poverty
- want of better life
Libya and maybe Egypt or even Tunisia have served as the access routes to Europe for many black Africans seeking a new life in Europe, with Libya bearing most of the “burden” so much so that an agreement was reached with Libya to help Europe fight illegal immigration of Black Africans to Europe.
Well that was then- the most recent events in all these countries mostly due to poor governance have meant that the citizens of these countries are now crossing the desert and the Med Sea to the safety of Europe.
view from my hotel room
The Question is
WHAT WILL EUROPE DO ABOUT IT?
Back to the Historic Conference in Tripoli
I and few delegates got to meet and speak with Black Africans that live in Tripoli and asked them what life is really like for them. They told us
We get discriminated against by the Arabs, harassed sometimes, but the cost of living is cheap, we don’t pay for electricity nor water and housing is cheap, gatherings of more than 5 people are not allowed, you must get permission for that sort of thing. But we are fighting for our rights and I think we are getting there. Oh and we don’t think the headmaster knows about this as he would not allow it to happen
Driving through Tripoli it was evident that a major regeneration scheme was going on with old buildings being torn down and new ones going up. We told most of this was housing for the poor. On the face of it this looked like a country going places and with a great love for their leader.
Nkrumah's grand daughter
We eventually got to meet the headmaster on the final day of the conference and I can’t tell you how painful the preparation for this was. We were not allowed to take our handbags, phones, cameras pens or anything else for that matter.
Gaddafi- was his eccentric self, softly spoken and articulate. he told us that other African leaders were mistaken in their view that he wanted to take control of the whole of Africa. He sees himself as a servant of oppressed Africans allover the world with no desire for power.In fact he told us he was a revolutionist and left government to others
What I found interesting about this was that he sat through 3 hours of speeches before he said a word and having spoken he retreated to the largest tent I have ever seen!
There are always two sides to each story and whatever his reasons were-
He is the first African leader that has paid attention to the issue of African Diaspora in Europe, where other African leaders do not value its diaspora in spite of the financial contribution we make to the African economy, which in some cases is reportedly higher that Aid donations.
Gaddafi wanted to see a situation where African leaders can negotiate a better life for Africans in Europe and take an active role in lobbying European leaders for rights and called on us Africans to observe the law of the land of our adopted countries in a nutshell that with all rights come obligations and we must observe these. Wise words indeed from the headmaster and he left us in no doubt that he had our interests at heart!
For those of us that live in the UK, we came away with a point of view that that the Libyan people at least those that we met seemed to have a genuine respect and love for their president but for those of us used to life in the UK this is not something that we could understand given what we read about and hear about Gaddafi.
But there you go- given what we know now appearances can indeed be deceptive! At the time of writing this a Senior Army officer have sought refuge in Malta, Senior Diplomats have resigned and called for action against the Colonel, word on the street is that the colonel himself has fled to Venezuala and by the time you read this no doubt a lot would have happened so stop by and update us.
Last week he was reported to have said that he would join the protesters on the streets as he too was unhappy with the government, having met him I actually believe this is something he would do!
Make of that what you will, but do share your thoughts here. IS IT THE END OF THE TERM FOR THE HEADMASTER?
Entertainers at our last dinner in Tripoli courtesy of the Headmaster
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYNQl5hEahM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gU9u3L6QBFw
Fantastic article! The situation is indeed fluid and we all have to wait and see.
It is common for we humans to believe we are happy because someone with authority tell us we are and ought to be. This is until we discover that things can be different. There is something in the heart that cries for freedom. A government than prevents more than five people getting together definitely has something to fear.
I was lucky to witness the last year of the Soviet Union and the subsequent disintegration. Many people pretended to be happy. The truth was that they were just afraid, and they all believed that a bird in hand was worth two in the bush. We all know what happened when Yeltsin defied the mighty soviet military. Other joined-same previously happy folks.
At the end of the day, why should there be 30% unemployment and handout for the poor in a country with huge natural resources and just a population of 6 million.
Thanks Christopher. I think the disproportionate distribution of wealth is bound to get people onto the streets to riot. Interestingly a lot of these leaders are often oblivious to the plight of their people and I think we have learned a great deal about them in the last 8 weeks.
These leader also rely on creating fear and doubt in the minds of their citizens to the extent that they stop trusting each other and have to keep up appearance if only for their own safety- folk simply don’t know who trust = perfect situation for dictators
This is very interesting, certainly an extraordinary experience for you, Aida.
Libya is a rich country. It has enough money to keep the ruling elite happy and enough surplus to look after its citizens… it does in some ways, cheap housing, affordable utility bills, etc… As Christopher has said, freedom is more important than material gains, these people that are dying trying their luck to get to Europe may say they wanted to better themselves economically but there is surely more than that. Sometimes we don’t realise but there is that thing in all of us that says NO. Sixth sense, perhaps. Gaddafi runs the country like his house-hold. He sends his son to speak for the country as if Libya was a family project. At least Mubarak had a decency to send senior government official/s.
Plato said that as human beings we all have different needs but we share one need: a desire to be recognised, as human being with some dignity. This desire is natural. It’s this desire that has seen people fighting for their rights world over, throughout the years. Remember the self immolation unemployed graduate who started the Tunisian revolution? He felt he had lost his dignity for lack of employment that reduced him to a victim of uncaring society. People reach a point when they can’t sustain such feeling anymore. Gaddafi himself was sponsoring the meeting you attended not only because he cares, he wants to be recognised.
It was an extraordinary experience indeed.
Something Gaddafi said and I have actually seen during this uprising, is that he doesn’t see himself as President of Libya and has no role in government and those folk that say he is power hungry are mistaken. I am therefore not surprised that he didn’t feel he had to come out and address the county
Yes we all reach a point of “beyond caring” or ‘I have nothing to lose” and I think folk in Northern African have to that state and the results are unfolding right in front of us- LET’S CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS SPACE
Hi Ida, I am sure you are surprised to see me, I have no other access these days than to use, well, just me during the working day. I just could not wait to comment. Do you actually believe Gaddafi is genuinely not power hungry? Or is he trying to gain support from diaspora so that he can actually be the president of the United States of African Diaspora? How can he say he has no power, or interest and set the army on the people? And if he has no power, what is he doing?
Hi Freda
I sincerely could not say that he is not power hungry, if he truly wasn’t then he would simply walk away under the current circumstances. It did occur to me and others at the conference that this was perhaps another war to have a go at setting up the US of Africa.
I think only time will tell but at this rate it is looking unlikely that he will get the opportunity to say any of this through
Thanks Ida for this insight.
Thanks Ida for this insight into your trip.
I have always been on the side that views Gaddafi’s motives in other African countries as suspicious. I suppose my country is one of a few (if any others) that had made him into an honorary MP after a visit a few years ago. He must have made a donation which may or may not have helped citizens of Sierra Leone. I do not claim to know the reasons why such an action was taken in our Parliament.
I feel it is all too easy for someone to get support in and from our African countries if they say they are against the West and we then do not see their action which are sometimes similar to the very people they are against.
In terms of the conference, what else was he going to say?
In terms of how people appeared feel about him then I suppose as Christopher says…fear has so much to do with how we behave behave. Also most leaders have people who believe in them and their ideology, this is what keeps them in power irrespective of country. The believers care enough to come out and speak or vote. The issue is the majority who are scared, have given up and just do not care anymore and try to get on with their lives, taking each day as it comes.
We were discussing a similar issue the other day- Some African leader have no dignity whatever and readily accept handouts -no questions asked, consequently they and the continent is despised by those doing the handing out- like Gaddafi