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Coalition of convenience
The military intervention by Western coalition forces in Libya will only create more uncertainties and worsen the humanitarian crisis in the country and the region. In fact, the humanitarian situation in Libya has deteriorated since the United States, France and Britain launched air strikes on March 19.
The deepening political crisis and worsening humanitarian situation in Libya run counter to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which sanctioned imposition of a no-fly zone over the country to protect civilians.
Many countries are criticizing the coalition for deepening the crisis by abusing the UN mandate, and have demanded an immediate end to military intervention in Libya.
The coalition forces' lack of proper planning and objective has come as a shock. Almost a week passed before the coalition forces agreed to a command structure. On Thursday, the US and other member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) finally reached an agreement on who would take over the command from the US to lead the operations in the next stage.
This is unimaginable given the importance of the Libyan crisis and the overriding military supremacy that NATO enjoys today. There is enough justification to ask whether the coalition has the sincerity to carry out the UN mandate without violating it in any way
These misgivings have sprung up because Libya's future looks bleak and regional stability is in jeopardy after a week of military operation by the Western coalition. It seems that the Western coalition has opened a Pandora's box in Libya.
For all we know, suffering may have just begun for the Libyan people and there is no guarantee when it will end. But no matter what happens, the Iraq story should not be repeated in Libya.
Recent years have seen the West intervening in many countries. Western powers do not think twice before using force against a sovereign state on the pretext of humanitarianism. The Libyan crisis marks the pinnacle of such interventionism because the West has acted with less support within and outside its bloc compared to the attack on Iraq eight years ago.
By using the excuse of humanitarianism, the West cannot fool all the people into believing that the military action in Libya is for a just cause. Two factors seem to have made the West decide on the military action in Libya: the country is rich in oil and embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi has for long been an eyesore for the West.
The turbulence in Libya gave the West a ready excuse to launch its military campaign that may end Gadhafi's rule but will certainly leave the country in tatters and its people shattered. -
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Libya agrees with AU's road map
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ADDIS ABABA - The African Union (AU) on Friday announced that the Libyan authority has agreed with the five-point Road Map set by the AU High Level ad hoc Committee to the crisis in Libya.
Briefing journalists after a meeting with Libyan delegation led by Ahmed Zouni, speaker of Libyan People's Congress, Jean Ping, AU Commission Chairperson, said the delegation sent by Libyan Authority confirmed with their oral statement their full agreement with the whole elements of the AU road map set in connection with the crisis in that country.
"We had that meeting with the delegation sent by Libyan authorities we have exchanged views on how to follow up our road map; we have a road map with five points which was submitted to them and asked them how they are going to comply with these five points; we have received the full agreement that they have agreed with the whole these five points; they already sent us a written agreement; but they have confirmed orally to the panel that they are committed to the proposal, to the road map of the Commission," said Ping
The chairperson said the AU would follow the implementation of the cease fire.
"We will go to implement this cease fire decision. We are going to make it effective with a mechanism of monitoring of control, then we move to the other issues which are humanitarian assistances, the protection of foreign nationals including the African migrant workers who are in Libya and then the last one the dialogue the necessity to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people to democracy, freedom, peace, justice and to development," he said.
The five-point Road Map consists of the following elements:
First, the protection of civilians and the cessation of hostilities.
Second, the humanitarian assistance to affected populations both Libyans and foreign migrant workers, particularly those from Africa.
Third, the initiation of political dialogue between the Libyan parties in order to reach an agreement from the modalities for ending the crisis.
Fourth, the establishment and management of an inclusive transitional period.
Fifth, the adoption and implementation of political reforms necessary to meet the aspirations of the Libyan people.
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Video: Studio interview: Significance of AU road map CCTV News - CNTV English
Libyans never never learn and change despite being colonized by Britain and France before ...
ReplyDeleteWestern powers remain the same too, i.e. uses of fores, i.e. air strikes from their gunboats (aircraft carriers..), the so called gunboat diplomacy (the political powers grew out from the barrel of the guns) as the only truths and real as bible to teach Libyan another lessons.