Libya celebrates Saturday the 71st anniversary of its independence, which came after decades of struggle against the Italian colonizer.
From the balcony of al-Manar Palace in Benghazi, King Muhammad Idris al-Senussi officially declared Libya’s independence on December 24, 1951.
On that day, King Idris said, “We announce to the honorable Libyan nation that, as a result of its jihad and in implementation of the United Nations resolution issued on November 21, 1949, the independence of our dear country has been achieved, with God’s help.”
In 1969, Muammar Gaddafi led a military coup on the Kingdom and governed the country for 42 years, until 2011, when he was killed during a popular revolution supported by NATO forces.