Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Situation in libya and on the Efforts of the...

8/4/2019 Report of the Chairperson of the Commission on the Situation in libya and on the Efforts of the African Union for a

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AFRICANUNION UNIONAFRICAINE

UNIOAFRICANA

P.O.Box:3243,AddisAbaba,Ethiopia,Tel.:(25111)5513822Fax:(25111)5519321Email:[email protected]

PEACEANDSECURITYCOUNCIL291STMEETINGADDISABABA,ETHIOPIA26AUGUST2011

PSC/AHG/3(CCXCI)

REPORTOFTHECHAIRPERSONOFTHECOMMISSIONONTHESITUATIONINLIBYAANDONTHEEFFORTSOFTHEAFRICANUNIONFORA

POLITICALSOLUTIONTOTHELIBYANCRISIS


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PSC/AHG/3(CCXCI)Page1

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The present report provides a brief update on the steps taken as a followup todecision Assembly/AU/Dec.385(XVII) adopted by the Assembly of the Union, at its 17

th

Ordinary Session held from 30 June to 1st July 2011, regarding the Proposals on a

Framework Agreement for a Political Solution to the Libyan Crisis, as well as on the

evolution of the situation in Libya. The report concludes with observations on the way

forward.

II. FOLLOWUPTOTHEASSEMBLYDECISION

2. Council would recall that, at its Malabo Summit, the Assembly of the Uniondeliberated indepth on the situation in Libya. In particular, the Assembly adopted the

Proposals on a Framework Agreement for a Political Solution to the Libyan Crisis. These

Proposals were initially submitted by the AU HighLevel ad hoc Committee on Libya,following its meeting in Pretoria, on 26 June 2011. At that meeting, the Committee

welcomed Colonel Muammar Qaddafis commitment to an inclusive dialogue with the

participationoftheNationalTransitionalCouncil(NTC)ofLibyaandhisacceptancetonotbe

partof thenegotiationprocess,aswellasofUnitedNationsSecurityCouncil resolutions

1970(2011)and1973(2011).

3. TheobjectiveoftheProposalswastobringtheconflicttoaspeedyend,ensuretheeffective protection of the civilian population, including the provision of humanitarian

support,andusherinapoliticalprocessthatwouldmakeitpossibletomeetthelegitimate

aspirations of the Libyan people for democracy, rule of law, good governance and the

respect for human rights. The Proposals were developed within the framework of the

RoadmapadoptedbyCouncilatits265th

meetingheldon10March2011.

4. TheProposalswere formallysubmittedby theadhocCommittee to theparties inMalabo,andtheyundertooktorespondwithinaperiodofabout10days.However,asno

responsewas forthcoming from theparties, theCommission, inconsultationwith theadhoc Committee, decided to invite them to Addis Ababa for a technical interaction toexchangeontheProposalsandthebestwayforward.

5. The technical interaction took place on 19 July 2011, in Addis Ababa. While theLibyan Government attended, the NTC did not. The delegation of the Government

requested for a number of clarifications on the AU Proposals, and undertook to

communicate the formal responseof the LibyanGovernmentas soonaspossible.On10

August 2011, the Libyan Government, through its Peoples Bureau in Addis Ababa,

forwardeditsresponse(SeeAnnexI).

6. Following the technical interaction of 19 July, the Commission sent anotherinvitationtotheNTCtoparticipateinasimilarmeetingwiththeadhocCommittee.On9August2011,theadhocCommitteemetwithadelegationoftheNTCledbyDr.MahmoudJibril,ChairoftheTNCExecutiveCommitteeandHeadofForeignRelations,andcomprising


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notably Mr. Mahmoud Shammam, who is in charge of the Press in the NTC. The NTC

delegationalsometwiththeDeputyChairpersonoftheCommission,Mr.ErastusMwencha,

toexchangeviewsontheAUsefforts. Bothmeetingsprovidedanopportunitytodiscuss

extensivelythesituationinLibyaandtheAUeffortstofindapoliticalsolution,inparticular

theProposalsendorsedbytheMalaboSummitinJuly2011.TheAUprovidedclarifications

onitsProposals.Onitspart,theNTCdelegationundertooksoontoformallycommunicate

itsobservationsontheseProposals.

7. On16August2011,througha letteraddressedtome,Dr.JibrilcommunicatedtheofficialresponseoftheNTContheProposals.HeseizedtheopportunitytothanktheAUfor

its efforts to find a solution to the Libyan crisis, in an attempt to spare the lives of the

strugglingLibyanpopulation.He indicatedthat theNTCwas lookingforward tocontinued

engagementwiththemembersoftheCommitteeandthoseoftheCommissioninchargeof

theLibyanmatter(SeeAnnexII).

8. In addition to these efforts, both the Commissioner for Peace and Security and Ihave, during the period under review, remained in continual contact with multilateral

partners,includingtheUnitedNations,inparticularSecretaryGeneralBanKimoonandhis

SpecialEnvoy for Libya,AbdelilahAlKhatib, theEuropeanUnionand the LeagueofArab

States.Wehavealsometwithseniorofficialsfrombilateralpartners,inparticularFrance,

theUnitedKingdomandtheUS.Inallourinteractions,weemphasizedtheneedtoworkfor

apoliticalsolutionandstrivedtorallysupportforAUefforts.

9. TheChairpersonoftheadhocCommittee,PresidentMohamedOuldAbdelAzizofMauritania,andtheothermembersoftheCommitteehavealsoremainedactivelyengaged.

PresidentOuldAbdelAzizmaintainedcontactswiththeLibyanparties,toencouragethem

toextendthenecessarycooperationtotheAUinitseffortstopromoteapoliticalsolution

to the conflict. He also met with the UN Special Envoy who visited Nouakchott, for

consultations

on

the

situation

in

Libya.

It

is

also

important

to

note

that

the

Chairperson

of

theUnion,PresidentTeodoroObiangNguemaMbasogoofEquatorialGuinea,continuedto

followthesituationcloselyandtoassist intheeffortstofindapoliticalsolution.Thus,he

receivedtheLibyandelegationthattookpartinthetechnicalinteractionof19July2011.He

urgedthepartiestoextendthenecessarycooperationtotheAU inordertoexpeditethe

resolutionofthecrisis.

III. EVOLUTIONOFTHESITUATIONONTHEGROUND

10. Whilethediplomaticeffortstofindapoliticalsolutionwereunderway,buildingonthe responses received frombothparties, theaircampaignconductedby NATOand the

fightingonthegroundcontinuedunabated.Sincetakingcontrolofthemilitaryoperations

forLibyawithintheframeworkofUNSecurityCouncilresolutions1970and1973(2011),on

31March2011,underOperationUnifiedProtector,NATOhasconductedcloseto20,000

sorties,includingabout7,600strikesorties.

11. After months of stalemate, the situation on the ground witnessed majordevelopments.Overthepasttwoweeks,theoppositionfightersmadeadvancesonvarious

fronts.Theseincluded,inparticular,thecaptureofGharyanandZawiya,intheWest,which


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isolatedthecapital,Tripoli,aswellasthecaptureofZliten,intheEast.On21stAugust2011,

theoppositionfightersenteredTripoli,capturingmostoftheareasofthecapital.Twodays

later, they took control of the Bab alAziziya compound of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi,

whosewhereaboutsarenotknown.However,thetimeoffinalizingthisreport,therewere

reportsoffightinginsomepartsofTripoliandsomeotherlocationsinthecountry.

IV. HUMANITARIANSITUATION

12. AccordingtotheUnitedNationsOfficefortheCoordinationofHumanitarianAffairs(OCHA),sincethestartofthecrisis,around740,000peoplehavefledLibya.Ofthese,over

100,000 are Libyans and over 640,000 are nonLibyans. Around 53 per cent of the non

Libyans are people from the neighboring countries. According to the UNHCR, there are

approximately218,000 IDPs in Libya,mostof whom are stayingwith relatives or inhost

communities.

13. DuringitslatestassessmentmissiontoTripolifrom17to24July2011,theUNnotedshortagesof medical supplies and personnel and the marked psychosocial impact of the

conflict. Although basic food commodities can be found in the markets, food prices are

risingand the food supply chain for thepublicdistribution systemhasbecome irregular,

whilethereducedavailabilityofcashismakingitdifficultforfamiliestopurchaseadequate

foodsuppliesandotheressential items.During itsvisittoDarnaandAlBayda(population

250,000),northeastofBenghazi,theUNalsonotedthelackofliquidity,aswellasshortage

ofmedicalsupplies,water,andbabyfood.

V. OBSERVATIONS

14. SincethestartoftheLibyancrisis,theAUhasmadesustainedeffortstoachieveapolitical solution, asevidencedby the elaboration of the Roadmapas earlyas 10March

2011, theestablishmentof theHighLeveladhocCommitteeand thesustainedefforts tofacilitatedialoguebetween theparties. Ialsowould like to recall theseveralmeetingsof

Council,whichhasremainedactivelyseizedofthematter,theextraordinarysessionofthe

Assemblyon25May2011,and thedeliberationsof theMalaboSummit,whichendorsed

theProposalsonaFrameworkAgreementforaPoliticalSolutiontothecrisisinLibya.

15. IwouldliketopaytributetothemembersoftheAUHighLeveladhocCommitteefor theircommitmentand senseofduty incarryingout themandateentrusted to them.

TheydeservefullappreciationfromtheCouncilandtheentiremembershipofourUnion.

16. In undertaking its efforts, the AU was driven by the need to ensure that thelegitimateaspirationsof the Libyanpeople fordemocracy,governanceandhuman rights

werefulfilled,aswellastheimperativeofavoidingfurtherbloodshedandsuffering.TheAU

alsohadinmindtherisksthatcontinuedfightingandinstabilityinLibyaposesforregional

peaceandsecurity. Unfortunately,andforreasonsbeyondAUscontrol,theseeffortsdid

notyieldtheexpectedresults.


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17. Whilethismilitaryphaseoftheconflictseemsnowabouttobeover,itiscrucialthattheAUremainactivelyengagedintheeffortstostabilizethesituationandassisttheLibyan

people fulfill their legitimate aspirations. Africa will benefit immensely from the

achievement of lasting peace, democracy and development in Libya. For too long, the

politicalsystem inLibyahasbeenatvariancewiththerelevant instrumentsofourUnion.

Accordingly, the AU should continue to demonstrate the same commitment and

determination inassistingtheLibyanpeople inmeetingthecurrentchallenges,as itdid in

tryingtofindapoliticalsolutiontotheconflict.

18. Inthisrespect,theAUshouldcontinuetomaintainclosecontactwiththeNTCandotherLibyanstakeholders,toencouragethemtoworktowardsaninclusiveandconsensual

transition,leadingtodemocraticelections,toenabletheLibyanpeoplefreelychoosetheir

leaders. At the same time, it is critical to emphasize the need for a genuine national

reconciliationtoenabletheLibyanpeopleovercometheirdifferencesandworkinunisonto

openanewchapterinthehistoryoftheircountry.Iwelcometheexpressedcommitmentof

the TNC to democracy, respect for human rights and good governance, as well as to

reconciliation.Theguidingprinciples,objectivesandmaincomponentsoftheAURoadmap

forapoliticalsolutiontotheLibyancrisisclearlyremainvalidandrelevant.

19. TheAU shouldalsocontinue toworkcloselywithother internationalactors,bothmultilateralandbilateral,tofacilitateacoordinatedsupporttotheLibyanstakeholdersas

theystrivetostabilizethesituation,healthewoundsoftheconflict,promotestabilityand

democracy.Icallontheinternationalcommunityatlargetoextendtherequiredsupportto

Libya,bearinginmindthattheLibyansshouldbetheonlyonestodeterminethefutureof

theircountryandmakethedifficultdecisionstothatend.

20. Effortsshouldalsofocusonmitigatingtheimpactoftheconflictontheneighboringcountries. Inthisrespect,specialattentionshouldbepaidtotheproliferationofweapons,

with the attendant risk of them falling into the wrong hands, in particular terrorist and

criminal groups, and to the socioeconomic reinsertion into their own countries of the

AfricanmigrantworkerswhowerecompelledtoleaveLibya.TheCommissionwillcontinue

theeffortsunderwayfortheearlyconveningofapledgingconferencetomobilizeresources

insupportofthecountriesoforiginandthemigrantworkers.

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