Life and times of Muammar Gaddafi

His relationship with the world has seen some very dark phase. Former US president Ronald Reagan had once called him a "mad dog". In this June 13, 1999 photo, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is photographed in Cape Town, South Africa.

On foreign trips, instead of staying at five star hotels, he has set up camp in a luxury tent and is accompanied by armed female bodyguards. In this August 20, 1990 photo, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi gestures during a news conference in Tipoli.