This post is part of Global Voices special coverage on Libya Uprising 2011.

News is emerging on Twitter that Libyan leader Mu'ammar Gaddafi has sent in the army against protestors, with deaths reported in Benghazi and other parts of the country. Gaddafi is one of the longest serving dictators in the world, now entering his 42nd year as President.

Gaddafi at the 12th African Union summit. Image by US Government, in the public domain.

Libyans have been inspired by pro-democracy demonstrations in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt that have toppled their respective rulers.

But their protests appear to have been met with stiff resistance, as Gaddafi shows no hesitation in deploying violence to suppress anti-regime protests.

This post is part of Global Voices special coverage on Libya Uprising 2011.