South African Ambassador: NATO Making Things Worse In Libya

NATO’s military campaign in Libya has worsened the plight of the civilian population and has yet to provide a longterm solution to the crisis, says South Africa’s Ambassador to the United Nations.

In a Security Council briefing earlier today, Ambassador Baso Sangqu argued that NATO has done little to stabilize the current situation in Libya and that the mission had in fact led to an increase in civilian casualties.

“This meeting takes place exactly one hundred days after the start of the NATO aerial bombardment in Libya. Despite this military action, there has not been a solution to the Libyan crisis, and the situation has in fact deteriorated with more loss of civilian lives and massive destruction of infrastructure.”

Sangqu says the NATO mission has gone well beyond the mandate of the Security Council Resolution 1973, which called for the implementation of a no fly zone and allowed for air strikes against Gaddafi forces.

“When South Africa voted in favor of Resolution 1973, our intention was to ensure the protection of civilians as well as unhindered access to humanitarian aid to those who desperately need it.” said Sanggu, “a political, rather than a military, solution is the only way in which peace can be achieved in Libya.”

South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma last week accused NATO of using Resolution 1973 to encourage regime change at the expense of civilian protection. “We have spoken out against the misuse of the good intentions in Resolution 1973,” he said. “We strongly believe that the resolution is being abused for regime change, political assassinations and foreign military occupation.”

In a meeting yesterday in Pretoria, African Union officials reiterated their concern over the continued the NATO-led airstrikes, and once again called on Gaddafi and rebel forces to implement an immediate ceasefire. 

AU officials released a statement arguing only a political solution could “sustainably settle the current conflict.”

Earlier today, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and a top military intelligence official.

It is unclear what effect the warrants will have on attempts at negotiating a political solution to the conflict. The ICC decision was welcomed by top NATO officials, and seems to indicate the organization continues to be determined to remove Gaddafi from power.