AlGaddafi

Muammar al‑Gaddafi (also spelled Qaddafi, Gaddafi; 1942–2011) was a Libyan revolutionary and political leader who governed Libya from 1969 until his overthrow and death during the 2011 civil war. Born in a Bedouin family near Sirte, he attended the Royal Military Academy in Benghazi and was influenced by Arab nationalist and anti‑colonial ideas. On 1 September 1969, a group of junior officers led by Gaddafi seized power in a bloodless coup that deposed King Idris I.

Gaddafi established the Libyan Arab Republic, later renaming the country the Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, a state structure he described as a direct democracy based on his political philosophy outlined in the Green Book. The Green Book combined elements of Arab nationalism, socialism, and Islamic principles, rejecting both capitalism and Marxism. Under his rule, Libya nationalized foreign oil assets, used oil revenues to fund ambitious infrastructure projects, and pursued a policy of African and Arab unity.

Internationally, Gaddafi’s government was controversial. It was accused of supporting militant groups, including the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, leading to UN sanctions and strained relations with the West. In the 2000s, Libya abandoned its weapons‑of‑mass‑destruction programs and sought rapprochement, culminating in the signing of the 2003 accord with the United States.

Domestic dissent grew in the 2010s, and in February 2011 protests escalated into an armed rebellion as part of the wider Arab Spring. NATO intervened on the side of the rebels, and by October 2011 Gaddafi’s forces were defeated. He was captured and killed in Sirte on 20 October 2011, ending his 42‑year rule and shaping Libya’s subsequent political turmoil.