 In 2013 the African Union commemorated King Idris' legacy as an African hero and the architect of Libya's independence from Italy's colonial rule in a public event.In fact, Idris remains widely regarded as the father of an independent and unified Libya who led the country through its resistance to the colonial powers.As a quiet but firm ruler, he played a unifying role both in Libya, between the various strains of Islam and the plethora of Libyan tribes, and across the region.