As Libya erupts into political chaos, Sierra Leoneans and Liberians in the Twin Cities watch with disbelief but sympathized with Libyans. For many years, Libya’s leader Muammar el-Qaddafi (he prefers not to be called president) supported rebel movements and insurgencies in Africa.As a friend to many African dictators, Qaddafi provided arms and military training to leaders who practice despotic rule. In the late 1980s and ’90s, Liberia and Sierra Leone were engulfed in separate rebel wars that claimed thousands of lives with thousands more people maimed.Both countries blamed Libya for training rebel leaders Charles Taylor and Foday Sankoh respectively. Qaddafi, without any remorse or apologies to Liberians and Sierra Leoneans, instead donated food that never reached the people and sponsored mosques in Sierra Leone.In Liberia, Qaddafi donated funds to rebuild schools and patched relations with leaders in West Africa, but the pain and devastation his trained rebels left in both countries still lingers.After years of political repression, protesters in Libya are turning the steam on Qaddafi with a rebellion that seemed to topple his 42-year hold on power.In a desperate speech on Monday, Seif al-Islam el-Qaddafi, son of Libya’s longtime leader, warned that civil war could explode the country into “rivers of blood” if Libyans support the anti-government protesters.Seif described the unstoppable protests as “a national treason.” He proposed to implement a democratic change if Libyans stop the protests. Continue Reading