The contemporary political history of Libya

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Overwhelming Support for Libya from African Leaders: By Lewis Machipisa, IPS, 4 June 1997.
OAU Demands UN Lift Sanctions against Libya: By Ingrid Solem, 7 July, 1996. Concerning the draft resolution for OAS summit in Cameroon.
Libya wants a deal, just like Iran: Intelligence, 20 October 1997. As if tension between France and the U.S. wasn’t already high enough, it looks like France, with European backing, is now leaning toward a with Libya to enter a gas prospecting and production contract with Libya.
Libyan rally against UN sanctions: South News, 14 November 1997. A Libyan rally headed to Tunisia to support unity among the Arab peoples and to condemn toughening the sanctions against Libya for its refusal to hand over two Libyan citizens suspected of exploding a Pan American plane over Lockerbie. The demonstrators also expressed anger at the UN sanctions imposed on Iraq.
Possible prisoners of conscience/Fear of torture/Legal concern: From Amnesty International, 1 July 1998. There are grave concerns for scores of people, mainly professionals, whose whereabouts remain unknown since a wave of arrests began in early June 1998. The majority are reportedly suspected of supporting or sympathizing with the Libyan Islamic Group, an underground non-violent Islamist movement similar to the Muslim Brothers in other Middle Eastern countries.
Desert colonel still going strong: By Ian Black, Guardian (London), Friday 11 September 1998. Gadafy is on top of things. Starting his 30th year in office, the Brother Leader of the Libyan Revolution looks in good shape. Problems he certainly has, but the economy of his Jamahiriya—the Arabic neologism for his unique, often bizarre state of the masses—is still based firmly on oil and European companies are still queueing up to extract.
Libya’s Colonel Gadhaffi—from pariah to African statesman: By John Farmer, 22 July 1999. Colonel Muammar Gadhaffi, the Libyan leader, has undergone a significant transformation as the country emerges from seven years of UN sanctions. Dubbed the godfather of terrorism by the US, he is now being hailed by the European imperialist powers as the new elder statesman of Africa.
African Unity And the Disturbing Rumbles From Libya: Analysis by Paul Ejime, Panafrican News Agency, 13 October 2000. Since he came to power 31 years ago in the 1969 Socialist Revolution, Libyan leader Col. Moammar Kadhafi has endeared himself to admirers as a Pan-Africanist in word and deed. He has never made any secret of his abhorrence of the imperialist West, which accuses Libya of exporting terrorism, but even in Africa, critics are uncomfortable with his cosy relations with some revolutionary elements.
Mandela Accuses West Of Shifting Goal Posts: By Di Caelers, Cape Argus, 2 February 2001. Nelson Mandela accused Western governments of shifting the goalposts by failing to honour a deal that sanctions against Libya would be lifted with the handing over for trial of the two Lockerbie bomb suspects. Mandela, who played a crucial role in negotiating the handing-over, said one of the guarantees offered to Libya in return was that sanctions would be lifted, not suspended.