Former longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was not a "champion of democracy," but his overthrow and assassination led to instability in Africa, according to Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
"It was a very serious mistake" on the part of the West to allow former Libyan President Gaddafi to be killed, the Italian foreign minister said in a public speech in the city of Lucca, in Italy's Tuscany region. "He may not have been the champion of democracy, but once he was killed, political instability descended upon Libya and Africa."
According to Tajani, thanks to the agreements reached with Gaddafi, Italy was able to stop the migration flows, and the situation was far more stable in the region.
In a separate but related development, Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this week that the West is responsible for fomenting old and new conflicts in various parts of the world, citing the example of terrorist activities in Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR) following US aggression in Libya.
Putin attributed the continuation of existing conflicts and the emergence of new ones to what he called "geopolitical adventures" and the self-interested, neocolonial pursuits of Western powers.
"In various parts of the world, old conflicts are being perpetuated while new ones are being provoked. The goal of those who do this is obvious: to continue to profit from human tragedies, to trap populations, to force states into submission as part of the neocolonial system, to ruthlessly exploit their resources," the Russian president said.
Libya Struggles in Post-Ghaddafi Era
On October 20, 2011, the Libyan head of state was killed by US-backed Libyan rebels after his convoy was targeted by NATO coalition missiles.
Since his assassination, Libya has been divided. In recent years, the country has seen a confrontation between the Tripoli-based government in the west and the authorities in the east, backed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
In early February, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum, under the auspices of the United Nations, elected a transitional executive in Geneva to run the country until presidential elections are held.