Let it be spring
The Arab spring in Libya
2011
The Arab Spring swept across North Africa and the Middle East in early 2011. On 17 February that year, an uprising against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi began in Libya. In the West, there were hopes that the Libyan uprising, like the revolution in Egypt, would bring about rapid political change. Instead, it developed into a long and bitter conflict in which many people lost their lives.
Initially, NATO was reluctant to become involved, partly out of concern that military intervention would draw comparisons with the war in Iraq. Like Iraq, Libya is rich in oil, and access to its oil reserves was an important international interest. During the uprising, the rebels established the National Transitional Council (NTC), which sought international recognition and developed relations with Western governments.
In March 2011, following a United Nations Security Council resolution authorising measures to protect civilians, an international coalition established a no-fly zone over Libya. NATO subsequently took command of the military operation, which was presented as an intervention to protect civilians from attacks by Gaddafi’s forces.