AU’s opposition to military intervention in Libya ignored by UNSC, Obama
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March 18, 2011 (WASHINGTON) – The African Union (AU) panel tasked with
seeking a peaceful solution to the crisis in Libya is set to meet in
Mauritania on Saturday as prospects for military airstrikes became all
but certain.
JPEG - 25.1 kb
U.S. President Barack Obama delivers a statement about Libya in the
East Room of the White House March 18, 2011 in Washington, DC (AFP)
The commission consists of presidents from Uganda, Mauritania, South
Africa, Democratic republic of Congo (DRC) and Mali as well as the
Chairperson of the AU Commission Jean Ping.
On Thursday the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted
resolution 1973 authorizing sweeping military actions to protect
civilians against advancing forces of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Gaddafi has lost control over large parts of his country after
widespread ant-government demonstrations that started in mid-February
turned into an armed rebellion.
The African Union (AU) has been slow to issue a response to the events
in Libya which came in the form of a statement on March 10 expressing
"deep concern" over the violence in Libya saying it poses "a serious
threat to peace and security in that country and in the region as a
whole, as well as to the safety and dignity of Libyans and of the
migrant workers, notably the African ones, living in Libya".
The AU’s Peace and Security Council (PSC) also expressed solidarity
with Libya and rejected "any foreign military intervention, whatever
its form".
This was in sharp contrast to positions of the Arab League and the
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which called for the imposition of a
No-Fly Zone over Libya. Gulf Arab countries had also said Gaddafi’s
government was no longer legitimate.
Western countries and NATO have initially insisted they will not
intervene militarily in Libya without approval of regional
organizations such as the Arab League and the AU and a UNSC clear
mandate.
However, references to AU’s prior consent were later dropped and
Western officials only spoke of Arab League decision.
Three African countries sitting on the UNSC including Nigeria, South
Africa and Gabon supported the council’s resolution on Libya
authorizing the no-fly zone over Libya and "all necessary measures" to
protect civilians. Five other countries abstained namely Russia,
China, Brazil, Germany and India.
The same countries also endorsed resolution 1970 imposing
comprehensive sanctions on Libyan leader and his henchmen as well as
referring the crimes committed to the International Criminal Court
(ICC), an organization routinely criticized by the AU.
The AU said in a statement that the panel will seek in today’s meeting
to determine the ways and means of implementing its mandate.
“Following this meeting, the members of the Committee will undertake
to engage the Libyan parties and assess the situation in Libya,” the
AU statement added. It will also seek "the adoption and implementation
of the political reforms necessary for the elimination of the causes
of the current crisis" in Libya.
However, world powers appeared to have closed the door in front of any
attempt for political mediation.
U.S. president Barack Obama, delivering an ultimatum to Gaddafi on
Friday, said his administration would work with its partners to
enforce UNSC demands for a ceasefire. He again made reference to
position of the Arab League but ignored that of the AU.
"Yesterday, in response to a call for action by the Libyan people and
the Arab League, the U.N. Security Council passed a strong resolution
that demands an end to the violence against citizens.," Obama said at
the White House today.
"All attacks against all civilians must stop," Obama said, vowing to
enforce the UNSC resolution.
Ironically South African officials expressed doubt whether the AU
panel would be impartial and even questioned wisdom of sitting on it.
"There are concerns here at home about this panel and whether South
Africa should be part of it. It’s almost a given what they will say,
given their relationship with that man [Gaddafi]," a senior government
official told the Mail & Guardian newspaper based in South Africa.
The newspaper said that Government officials in Johannesburg are
worried that should the panel return with a recommendation to the AU
that favors Gaddafi, it will spoil the image president Jacob Zuma
wants to portray on the continent — that of himself as a statesman who
believes in brokering peaceful solutions that do not merely serve its
strongmen.
It was later confirmed that Zuma will not travel with the panel as
planned to Libya.
South African president came under fire in his country last week over
a call he made to Gaddafi. Libyan TV quoted Zuma as telling his
counterpart that that the AU should investigate the “conspiracy”
against him and the world should not believe what foreign media were
saying about Libya.
Zuma’s office issued a statement at the time saying the Libyan TV
report had been “distorted”. It pointed out that South Africa had
voted for UNSC sanctions on Libya and that Zuma had condemned Libya’s
killing of civilians while he was in France.
The Ugandan government on Thursday said it opposes “foreign
interference” in Libya and declared it will not freeze Libyan-owned
assets in the country.
In an interview to be fully published by Daily Monitor, Uganda foreign
Minister Sam Kutesa also urged Gaddafi to stop killing his people and
use available avenues to restore peace to his country.
“He should not kill his people… [but] ought to look at reforms and
legitimate demands of his people,” Kutesa said adding that “we do not
want foreign interference. We think that there should be an African
solution to this”.
Kutesa said that Uganda will try to impress it upon the Libyan leader
that “it is revolutionary to be democratic”.
“[Being] a revolutionary, I think, you are trying to serve the larger
interests of society and that includes people’s freedoms and
wellbeing,” he said. “I don’t know whether anybody should say that
being a revolutionary excludes being democratic. I don’t think so.”
Responding to a question whether Gaddafi, who has ruled for 42 years,
is part of the problem or solution for the North African country,
Uganda’s top diplomat said he could be both.
“Because if he is still there and has not allowed reforms, then he is
part of the problem. But if he can join the others and they make
reforms, then he is part of the solution”.
Last week, some experts said that the AU’s credibility is at stake
over its reaction to the Libyan crisis.
"I think the AU credibility is a bit on the line," said Laura Seay, an
Africa specialist at Morehouse College in Georgia to Voice of America
(VOA).
"Whether they are going to be able to formulate effective and coherent
responses, and saying that violence against civilians is unacceptable
to the African Union. That’s going to make a big difference on whether
they have credibility not only on the international scene, but also
with their own people."
Delphine Lecoutre, a researcher with the French Center for Ethiopian
Studies, pointed to the AU’s weak statement as an example of the PSC
timidity in facing up to the behavior of its leaders.
"There was a Peace and Security Council meeting on Libya, which
resulted in a cosmetic communiqué hardly condemning the violence in
Libya and putting it in a [clever] way, loss of human life and
destruction of property, but nothing regarding the political situation
in the country," said Lecoutre. "It is difficult for the AU to deal
with that case."
(ST)
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