Many people surround you with affection every day yet are false friends, waiting for the right moment to betray you and disappear. The relationship between Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo and Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, perfectly illustrates this phenomenon—marked by suspicion before understanding.
In short, Gaddafi distributed large sums of money to African leaders and worked toward unifying the continent. At an African summit in Libya, Gaddafi asked Gbagbo:
“Are you the President of Côte d’Ivoire?” Gbagbo answered in the affirmative.
Gaddafi continued: “But listening to you, I understand I was lied to—misled about you. I was told you don’t like Muslims.”
Gbagbo replied: “My wife, Nady Bamba—who is in the next room and came with me to this summit—is Muslim.”
Gaddafi then said sadly: “Oh… they lied to me.”
Gbagbo asked again: “Who lied to you?”
Gaddafi replied: “People from your own country. They told me you hated Muslims and that you had forbidden them from wearing the boubou. That’s how they came to ask me for money—and I gave it to them.”
Leave a comment. In your opinion, who was Gaddafi referring to (other African leaders or Ivorian politicians)?
Can you imagine that, my friends?
What lessons can others—especially presidents, prime ministers, and CEOs—draw from Gaddafi’s example?
- It is crucial to speak with people who are constantly blackmailed and sidelined by their relatives, friends, or colleagues. You may discover what Gaddafi discovered when he chose to speak directly with President Gbagbo.
- Sometimes, the person you would be willing to die for is the one who pulls the trigger.
- Betrayal never comes from your enemies. In President Gbagbo’s case, it came from those around him.
- Beware of the false friend who hugs you. He is more dangerous than the enemy who attacks you.
- You can lose a good person because of manipulation by those close to you—people who have nothing more to offer you than taking from you.
- Do not change for anyone simply because you were betrayed. Lies have an expiration date. The truth is eternal; that is why the truth always triumphs.
I have personally been a victim (of family, friends, and employees) many times—far more than three—and no one ever had the courage to ask me whether what they had heard was true or false. I know that many of you reading this message have been victims, and some are still living with the consequences of the dark actions of this nocturnal cabal.
So, the next time you suffer, don’t look too far. Look at who is very close.
Please share your story of betrayal, if you have one, so that others may learn from it.
Always preserve your reputation, no matter what happens. Do it for God and for your conscience—whether the world believes it or not.
Thank you.
Dr. David Makongo