Gaddafi and Africa Legency

 

They used to make us believe Gaddafi was just a petty thief. They filled our screens and our minds with narratives meant to discredit him. But only after he was gone did the truth begin to surface. The world witnessed the unveiling of his legacy, the Great Man-Made River, often called the Eighth Wonder of the World. A visionary project that turned the desert into fertile farmland, aiming to make landlocked Libya self-sufficient in agriculture.

My father always said, ‘When a person is fed, half their problems are solved.’
Gaddafi knew that. And despite what they told us; he led a Libya that had no external debt and boasted reserves of $150 billion. $150 billion! How many African nations today can say the same?

Now they point fingers at me. They call me a petty thief too. But ask yourself—why?

Is it because I fled to Paris or Texas in search of greener pastures? No.
Is it because I begged for foreign aid, only to watch NGOs drain Africa’s wealth while paying their staff handsomely to stay quiet? No.

They call me a thief because…
Today, the people of Burkina Faso can grow, harvest, and export their own tomatoes.
Burkina Faso making wealth for Burkina Faso.

Under their leadership, a vast nation like ours had only 3,642 km of paved roads. That was their legacy.
But under my leadership, we are building over 50,000 km of roads, because that is what Burkina Faso deserves.

They fear self-sufficiency. They fear an Africa that doesn’t need to beg. They fear leaders who won’t kneel.

Wake up, Africa.
The time of submission is over. The time of sovereignty is now.”

— President Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso