http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-12/06/c_131289696.htm
African issues should be settled in African ways by Africa: Chinese UN envoy
English.news.cn 2011-12-06 07:51:24
UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- China always supports settlement of
African issues in African ways by Africa, said Li Baodong, Chinese
permanent representative to the United Nations here on Monday after China
abstained from the vote on the draft resolution tightening sanctions on
Eritrea.
Li made the remarks after the Security Council adopted the resolution 2023,
condemning Eritrea's alleged provision of support to armed opposition
groups in the Horn of Africa region, including Al-Shabaab, and imposing
further sanctions on the country. The draft resolution received 13 votes in
favor, none against and two abstentions from China and Russia.
Li told the Council that China has followed closely the situation in the
Horn of Africa, understood the concerns of the relevant countries over the
security situation in the region, and opposed all words and acts that may
jeopardize regional peace and stability.
Li noted that China always supports settlement of African issues in African
ways by Africa. "We stand for solidarity among African countries and
appropriate settlement of their disputes through dialogue and negotiations.
We hope the African Union and other regional organizations play a positive
role in this regard. We will continue to firmly support the constructive
efforts made by the relevant countries and regional organizations to
maintain peace in the region, and will continue to do what we can to offer
our assistance," he said.
Concerning sanctions, Li made it clear that China has all along adopted a
prudent attitude toward sanctions. "We believe sanctions, instead of
achieving expected results,may often lead to further complication of the
situation and affect the economic development and welfare of the recipient
country," he said.
China maintains that the relevant Security Council actions concerning the
Horn of Africa should be conducive to improvement in relations among
countries in the region, settlement of disputes by parties concerned
through dialogue and negotiations, and maintenance of regional peace and
stability, Li stressed.
"Under this basic principle, China has taken an active and constructive
part in consultations on the draft resolution. Some of China's amendments
are reflected in the text of the draft resolution, but we believe there is
still room for improvement," Li said. "Regrettably, however, the rush to
vote on the draft resolution has resulted in its ultimate failure to
reflect some of the major and legitimate concerns of many Security Council
members, China included."
For instance, the implementation of due diligence guidelines is not mature
yet, and the effect of its implementation on other issues has yet to be
observed. The Sanctions Committee of the Security Council should have
further study and exploration of the issue, he added.
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Received on Tue Dec 06 2011 - 11:01:18 EST