Belarus Urged Coalition to Cease Hostilities in Libya

21.03.2011 10:22
Архив Редакция

March 20, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus called for an international coalition to stop fighting against Libya. "Rocket and bomb strikes on Libyan territory are going beyond the UN Security Council resolution №1973, and contrary to its main goal — the safety of civilians," Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Belarusian authorities have called on the States, participating in military operations in Libya, to immediately cease hostilities, «which lead to casualties.»

«Resolving the conflict is an internal affair of Libya and must be provided by the Libyan people without military intervention from outside,» the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

As Telegraf previously reported, the civil war in Libya, caused by the mass protests against the regime of Muammar Qadhafi, has continued from mid-February 2011. Opponents of the regime have managed to capture the east of the country, but soon Muammar Gaddafi’s forces went into the offensive on rebel positions.

March 17, UN Security Council adopted a resolution which provides for the closure of airspace to Libyan aircraft, possible military action except for the use of ground forces and the freezing of accounts of the Libyan oil company and its central bank, associated with the country’s leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Foreign Ministry of Belarus has supported the UN resolution, as its purpose, according to MFA Press Secretary Andrei Savinykh, was «de-escalation of the conflict and protecting civilians.» «We expect that any actions of the UN member-states will meet this primary objective,» said the Foreign Ministry of Belarus on March 18.

March 19, after an emergency summit on the situation in Libya, held in Paris by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Libya has begun a military operation against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi. Operation «Dawn of Odyssey» against the Libyan leader is held with the participation of five countries — the USA, UK, Canada, Italy and France. In addition, coalition forces have been joined by Spain, Qatar and the UAE, having provided their aircraft for the  operations.

According to the available data, the U.S. and Britain hit 20 of 22 goals during the first phase of a joint operation by an international coalition to block the airspace of Libya. According to the Libyan physicians, the number of civilian casualties has reached 64 people in the result of airstrikes by coalition forces. Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said during a speech on state television of the country that his country was getting ready for a long war. He called the attacks of the international coalition forces  «terrorism,» «a new aggression of the crusaders» and «new Hitlerism.»

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