CRISES AND THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY OF ARAB SPRING IN LIBYA

Abstract

The ‘Arab Spring’ which started from Tunisia dispersed to many countries in the Arab world has become a notable issue within the international system in the last decade. In Libya, the protest came to the limelight against the four decades rule of Muammar Gaddafi; however, the peaceful demonstration metamorphosed into revolution, consequently leading to civil war and military intervention in Libya as demonstrators were involved in the attack against the regime. It was also noted that population outbursts, unemployment, corruption by political elites, and highhandedness of the autocratic regime contributed to the consciousness of the crisis across the Arab world. The event in Libya escalated to the point of attracting a foreign military intervention backed up by the United Nations Organisation, however, the United Nations-backed up humanitarian intervention did more harm than good as it failed to protect citizens against further danger. This paper however summed up the military intervention in Libya as a facade. It was noted that the humanitarian intervention spearheaded by North Atlantic Organisation (NATO) forces under the umbrella of the United Nations was accompanied by an ulterior motive which was to topple the regime.