Libya explains opposition to sanctions against Eritrea

Libya voted against the resolution of the UN Security Council imposing sanctions against Eritrea, saying "the path adopted in the resolution is not realistic but hasty.

"Sanctions are not the appropriate means of sorting out the existing problem. Rather, it will aggravate the situation prevailing in the horn of Africa," according to Libya's permanent delegate to the UN, Abderrahmane Chalgham.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday ordered sanctions against Eritrea for supporting the Chabaab Islamist insurgents in Somalia and plans to place embargo on arms deliveries to Eritrea, the freezing of assets and the banning of trips for Eritrean officials.

In a speech made Wednesday in New York before the Security Council, Chalgham said "those sanctions will obstruct the path rather than the peaceful solutions we are yearning for through the good intentions expressed by the African Union (AU), the UN secretary-general and other international stakeholders."

Chalgham said the next AU summit in January 2010 would discuss issues regarding the Horn of Africa, particularly the role played by Eritrea in the region.

According to him, the UN secretary-general or his envoy is expected to take part in the summit and for that reason, it is preferable to put back the examination of this issue until after the African summit.

He also noted the efforts of the Libyan leader, Mouammar Kadhafi, the incumbent chairman of the African Union, through his numerous contacts with African leaders to achieve appropriate solutions to the problems between countries of the region.

It is within this framework that the Libyan diplomat said his country urged countries in the region to refer to the international courts to settle the border problem, one of the major causes of the conflicts.

According to him, Libya supports Somali's transition federal government under the presidency of Cheikh Chérif Cheikh Ahmed.

It also welcomes the Djibouti agreement which, it says, opens the way to national reconciliation and the setting up of a national unity government.

Chalgham said his country remained convinced that the Djibouti agreement was a good framework to institute peace for good in Somalia, expressing the hope that all Somali opposition factions should subscribe to the agreement, give up arms and resort to dialogue to sort out all the problems.

Said the Libyan delegate: "Libya which was the object of unjust sanctions for several years, vows not to play any role in the imposition of sanctions against any African country."

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