Maravi

(TALKZIMBABWE) No western interference in Libya: President Mugabe

No western interference in Libya: President Mugabe
By: Nancy Pasipanodya
Posted: Saturday, March 12, 2011 5:51 am

THE African Union has formally backed opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara as Ivory Coast president. Ouattara now has to figure out how to take over a government that the former president still claims.

Three months after Ivory Coast’s political crisis began, the African Union has called on incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo to step down, paving the way for opposition leader Alassane Ouattara to finally take on the powers of president.

The AU’s decision followed a fact-finding mission by five African heads of state, including South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma, and months of violence that killed at least 365 people and displaced tens of thousands of others in the capital Abidjan and elsewhere.

Ouattara, who attended the AU meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this week, is expected to return to Abidjan soon.

Gbagbo chose not to attend the AU meeting and rejects the AU’s compromise solution, which envisages Ouattara as president of a power-sharing government that includes members of Gbagbo’s party but not Gbagbo himself.

Gbagbo has threatened not to let Ouattara back into the country and has issued an order to prevent continued air supply flights for the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Abidjan.

President Mugabe joined other continental leaders who make up the 15-nation Peace and Security Council (PSC).

LIBYA

Meanwhile, the AU has rejected military intervention in Libya in the form of a no-fly zone proposed by Britain and France to oust Libyan leader, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.

The announcement was made by the AU's Commissioner for Peace and Security, Ram Tan Lamamra.

The AU said the situation was now a civil war and should be treated as such.

Speaking at the Harare International Airport soon after returning from Addis Ababa yesterday, President Mugabe said continental leaders had agreed to stand by Ouattara following contentious presidential elections late last year.

"The recommendation is that Ouattara should be sworn in (as president) ... You are aware that the Gbagbo side still objects ... but there was room left to incorporate Gbagbo," President Mugabe said.

On Libya, President Mugabe said: "We wanted to hear the truth about the situation."

He added: "We took exception to interference by Western powers ... and we absolutely reject their intervention.

"Africa will send a high-level panel of five Heads of State supported by experts (to Libya) to recommend the African position and what steps should be taken."

President Mugabe said the Libyan political system had been described as "authoritarian" and the AU should use the present state of affairs to prod Gaddafi into reforming.

However, this was no excuse for the West to get involved without being asked to by the AU.

"Intrinsically, geographically, culturally, Libya is African ... and African solutions are needed."

Labels: IVORY COAST, LIBYA, ROBERT MUGABE

posted by MrK @ 3:17 PM