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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Fri Aug 26 2011 - 09:21:37 EDT
http://www.dawn.com/2011/08/26/african-union-calls-for-inclusive-transition-in-libya.html
African Union calls for ‘inclusive’ transition in Libya
AFP - 26-08-2011
ADDIS ABABA: The African Union should support efforts for an inclusive
transition in Libya, after a months-long rebel onslaught brought down
Muammar Qadhafi’s regime, a senior AU official urged Friday.
AU Commission chief Jean Ping said the armed struggle was nearing an end and
that the pan-African body should support the Libyan people to move to the
next stage.
“It is now clear that the military phase of the conflict is about to end,”
said Ping at the opening of an AU Peace and Security Council meeting in
Addis Ababa over the Libyan crisis, attended by only three African leaders.
“On this new phase that’s opening in Libya, we have to stand by the Libyan
people and continue to engage them with the same determination.”
“Now more than ever, we have to make efforts to ensure an inclusive and
consensual transition to lead us to elections that will allow the Libyan
people to freely choose their leaders,” Ping said, without specifying
exactly who that will involve.
The AU has opposed the Nato air raids against Qadhafi and repeatedly called
for dialogue between the Libyan leader and the rebels, but its efforts have
largely been ignored.
The 54-member bloc has yet to recognize the rebel-led National Transitional
Council (NTC) as Libya’s governing authority, although several African
states have individually acknowledged the rebel government.
Ethiopia and Rwanda have called on the AU to support and acknowledged the
rebels, who have forced long-serving Qadhafi to flee from Tripoli to an
unknown location as they stormed the capital at the weekend.
The NTC announced Friday they would move their leadership from the eastern
city of Bengazi to Tripoli, where they still face resistance from diehard
regime loyalists.
Qadhafi’s whereabouts however remain unknown despite an intensive search by
rebel forces, and on Thursday he broadcast a new audio message calling on
the populace to take up arms.
In Addis Ababa, of the 15-member AU Peace and Security Council, only the
presidents from Djibouti, Uganda and South Africa were at the meeting.
The decision comes after direct peace talks with Israel ran aground late
last year in an intractable dispute over Jewish settlement construction on
occupied Palestinian land.
Israel is strongly opposed to such a move, saying negotiations are the only
way to resolve the conflict and establish a Palestinian state – a position
backed by Washington, which has announced its intention to veto the request.
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