Up and Coming: Africa leaders attack Libya raids

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Africa leaders attack Libya raids

Col Gaddafi and his supporters have vowed to fight a "long war"

The leaders of several African countries, including Uganda, South Africa and Zimbabwe, have condemned the air strikes on Libya.

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has written a lengthy newspaper article accusing the West of double standards.

He was one of five African leaders tasked with finding a solution to the crisis, whose mission to Tripoli was called off when the air strikes began.

South Africa's Jacob Zuma was also on the African Union panel.

Although South Africa voted in favour of UN resolution 1973, which authorised military action to protect civilians, Mr Zuma has also criticised the air strikes, suggesting they were part of a "regime-change doctrine".

Western leaders have said the strikes will not target Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi but they do think he should step down.

Mr Zuma called for an immediate ceasefire and "rejected any foreign intervention, whatever its form".

“The actions of the Western countries in Iraq and now Libya are emphasizing that might is 'right'”

Yoweri Museveni Ugandan president

He warned the countries taking action in Libya "they should not harm or endanger the civilians that Resolution 1973 sought to protect".

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, a long-standing critic of the West, has also condemned the air strikes, saying the conflict is really about control of Libya's oil wealth.

Namibia's President Hifikepunye Pohamba agreed, calling the bombardment an "interference in internal affairs of Africa".

The African Union has also called for an end to military intervention in Libya.

Col Gaddafi enjoyed strained relations with many African leaders, who disagreed with his plans to create a United States of Africa, with a single government, currency and army.

But he was one of the biggest financial contributors to the African Union.

In his article in the New Vision newspaper, Mr Museveni questioned why there was no military intervention to help the protesters in pro-Western Bahrain.

He also said the intervention would lead to an arms race.

"The actions of the Western countries in Iraq and now Libya are emphasizing that might is 'right,'" he wrote.

"I am quite sure that many countries that are able will scale up their military research and in a few decades we may have a more armed world."

Mr Museveni called for dialogue to solve the crisis.

Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.

Read the terms and conditions

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.