From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Sun Dec 27 2009 - 17:02:24 EST
http://slashnews.co.uk/news/2009/12/27/5986/Libya-explains-opposition-to-sanctions-against-Eritrea
Libya
explains opposition to sanctions against Eritrea
Permalink > Africa > Politics > afriquejet.com > 27 Dec 2009 > 2,552
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Libya voted against the resolution of the UN Security Council imposing
sanctions against Eritrea, saying "the path adopted in the resolution is not
realistic but hasty.
"Sanctions are not the appropriate means of sorting out the existing
problem. Rather, it will aggravate the situation prevailing in the horn of
Africa," according to Libya's permanent delegate to the UN, Abderrahmane
Chalgham.
The UN Security Council on Wednesday ordered sanctions against Eritrea for
supporting the Chabaab Islamist insurgents in Somalia and plans to place
embargo on arms deliveries to Eritrea, the freezing of assets and the
banning of trips for Eritrean officials.
In a speech made Wednesday in New York before the Security Council, Chalgham
said "those sanctions will obstruct the path rather than the peaceful
solutions we are yearning for through the good intentions expressed by the
African Union (AU), the UN secretary-general and other international
stakeholders."
Chalgham said the next AU summit in January 2010 would discuss issues
regarding the Horn of Africa, particularly the role played by Eritrea in the
region.
According to him, the UN secretary-general or his envoy is expected to take
part in the summit and for that reason, it is preferable to put back the
examination of this issue until after the African summit.
He also noted the efforts of the Libyan leader, Mouammar Kadhafi, the
incumbent chairman of the African Union, through his numerous contacts with
African leaders to achieve appropriate solutions to the problems between
countries of the region.
It is within this framework that the Libyan diplomat said his country urged
countries in the region to refer to the international courts to settle the
border problem, one of the major causes of the conflicts.
According to him, Libya supports Somali's transition federal government
under the presidency of Cheikh Chérif Cheikh Ahmed.
It also welcomes the Djibouti agreement which, it says, opens the way to
national reconciliation and the setting up of a national unity government.
Chalgham said his country remained convinced that the Djibouti agreement was
a good framework to institute peace for good in Somalia, expressing the hope
that all Somali opposition factions should subscribe to the agreement, give
up arms and resort to dialogue to sort out all the problems.
Said the Libyan delegate: "Libya which was the object of unjust sanctions
for several years, vows not to play any role in the imposition of sanctions
against any African country."
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