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Libya

African Governments fiddle while Libya burns: CIVICUS

Johannesburg. 23 February 2011. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation calls upon African Governments to urgently treat the situation in Libya as a threat to international peace and security.

The African Union has failed to condemn the brutal actions of the Libyan government let alone publicly put pressure on its Supreme Leader, Muammar Gaddafi, to stop his murderous attacks on civilian protestors, said the international civil society organisation, CIVICUS.

"Article 3 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union lists the promotion of peace, security and stability on the continent as one of key objectives of the Union," said Ingrid Srinath, Secretary General of CIVICUS. "Nevertheless, despite mass killings of pro-democracy protestors, the African Union appears to be watching from the sidelines as the carnage continues."

Gaddafi has urged his supporters to come out on the streets to attack the "rats" and "cockroaches" opposing the 40 plus years of his iron grip on power. His public address yesterday showed that he has no intention of relenting to the legitimate demands of the pro-democracy protestors. Instead he has threatened to purge opponents "house by house" and "inch by inch". "The situation in Libya is fast spiralling into an international crisis," said Ms Srinath.

Yesterday, the UN Security Council issued a unanimous statement condemning the violence but failed to take any concrete action to restore peace and security to the people of Libya. CIVICUS urges the UN Security Council to issue a binding resolution to halt the atrocities in Libya or risk deep ramifications for pro-democracy movements in Libya's neighbourhood and the rest of Africa.

"The three African countries that sit on the UN Security Council - South Africa, Nigeria and Gabon - as representatives of the continent have a special duty to ensure that resolute action is taken by this most powerful of UN bodies to prevent the crimes against humanity taking place in the country," said Ms Srinath.

On 21 February, the South African Government noted its "grave concern" at the reports of numerous civilian deaths in Libya calling on "all parties to exercise restraint" to prevent further loss of life. Nevertheless, it has failed to bring this issue to the attention of the African Union, said CIVICUS.

"As a member of the UN Security Council, and as an aspirant to a permanent seat on Africa's behalf to the Council, the South African Government can certainly exercise its influence more positively to prevent further loss of life", said Netsanet Belay, Policy and Research Director at CIVICUS.

"This is an extraordinary situation which is fast becoming a threat to peace and security in Africa and internationally which must be recognised and addressed both at the UN and at the African Union".

CIVICUS urges the African members of the UN Security Council (South Africa, Nigeria and Gabon) to:

to push for a binding resolution on Libya invoking the doctrine of 'Responsibility to Protect' under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter; and

to urgently request the African Union Secretariat to invoke the procedure for the convening of an extraordinary session on Libya under Article 6 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union.