Western-backed "Rebels" Fail to Appear at African Union Consultative Meeting on Libya

Cruise missiles being launched in the Mediterranean against the North African state of Libya. There have been over 40 people killed and many more injured by the U.S. and European military bombings., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.

Interests stall AU consultative meeting on Libya

News Mar 26, 2011
Nigerian Vanguard

Addis Ababa – Attempts by the AU to bring about peace in Libya seemed to have failed as a meeting called to discuss the crisis ended without any sign that an agreement had been reached.

The AU High-Level Committee had called a meeting of all stakeholders including the Libyan government and the opposition, at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa to discuss on how to resolve the political crisis in the country.

In Addis Ababa, reports indicated that after about 10 hours of closed-door discussions deelegates failed to reach a consensus on the various issues on the table.

The meeting ended without a communique being issued as was earlier promised by officials of the continental body.

Mr Mazini Nuruddeed, the spokesperson of the AU Commission Chairperson, said after the marathon meeting that there was no communiqué to be issued.

“There is nothing to tell the press, there will not be any communiqué and you could see that the meeting is over and all the delegates are going’’, Nuruddeed, who attended the meeting said.

However, diplomatic sources said that no consensus was reached at the meeting because it was dominated by various interests from within and outside Africa.

“As usual, we have ended up wasting our time on issues that are not possible. How can AU monitor a ceasefire in Libya while UN has already embarked on the enforcement of no-fly zone?’’, a diplomat said.

According to the diplomat AU operates as a continental body under the UN, so its proposals are not likely to supersede decisions reached at the UN.

Declaring the meeting open earlier, Dr Jean Ping, the AU Commission Chairperson said the meeting was called to discuss how best to ensure an immediate return of peace to Libya.

NAN reports a five-man delegation represented the Libyan government while the opposition group failed to turn up at the meeting.

Others who attended the meeting include foreign ministers of the five-member ad-hoc committee, the 15-member countries of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC), the representatives of the Arab League, the OIC, the EU and the UN.

Also in attendance were were the ambassadors of Germany, Belgium, India, Italy, France, Japan, Norway, Portugal, UK, China, Russia, Denmark, Spain, Brazil, Turkey ,the U.S. and Libyan neighbours. (NAN)