Gaddafi’s death: World leaders react

Muammar Gaddafi

Mixed feelings accompanied the death of Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, on Thursday.

French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, hailed the death of Gaddafi as a major step forward for the people of Libya and urged the country’s new regime to pursue democratic reforms.

"The disappearance of Gaddafi is a major step forward in the battle fought for more than eight months by the Libyan people to liberate themselves from the dictatorial and violent regime imposed on them for more than 40 years," Sarkozy said in a statement.

French warplanes reportedly identified and "stopped" a convoy of vehicles carrying Gaddafi before he was killed in clashes in Libya, French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet said.

The convoy of several dozen vehicles "was stopped from progressing as it sought to flee Sirte but was not destroyed by the French intervention," Longuet told journalists.

Libyan fighters then intervened, destroying the vehicles, from which "they took out Colonel Gaddafi," he added.

Conversely Cuba has taken no position on Gaddafi’s death. A statement on the official media website, cubadebate.cu indicated "the National Transitional Council said it killed Gaddafi," and that NATO at the time did not confirm the information. The site made no further comment

Cuba, which has been a sharp critic of the intervention in Libya, has refused to recognize the ruling NTC and has withdrawn its diplomats from Tripoli.

On September 3, the foreign ministry said it would only recognize a government formed "legitimately, without foreign intervention."

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom welcomed Gaddafi’s demise but criticised his killing by the rebels. British Foreign Secretary, Mr. William Hague, said, Britain does not approve of "extradjudicial killing" but will not mourn Gaddafi.

Hague said it was wrong to speculate about exactly what happened after television stations showed video of a bloodied Gaddafi alive and walking as he was being manhandled by Libyan fighters shortly before his death was announced.

"We are just seeing these images and of course at the moment we don’t know about the exact circumstances of his death," Hague told Sky News.

"We would have liked him to face justice for his crimes in a court, in an international or Libyan court, and we don’t approve of extrajudicial killing," he added.

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