By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 15 -- Western countries on the UN Security Council pushed hard to keep most of the African Union presentations about Libya behind closed doors.
Now we know and can report why.
Outside the closed door session in the UN's North Lawn building on June 15, a European Permanent Representative complained to Inner City Press that all speeches inside were constructive “except Uganda.”
Uganda was until December on the Security Council, represented by Ambassador (and medical doctor) Ruhakana Rugunda. Inner City Press asked Rugunda if he had called for NATO to stop bombing, and Ruganda indicated that he had.
Inner City Press has now obtained and is publishing Uganda's representative Rugunda's statement in the Council's closed door meeting on Libya. The statement goes beyond calling for a ceasefire by NATO -- it says that the rebels in Libya are playing for external patrons and likens them to Mobutu in the Congo.
Rugunda says that what is happening in Libya is a civil war, not genocide, for which he gives as examples Rwanda and the Holocaust. He says that both Gaddafi and the rebels are engaged in war crimes, and cites positively the “provisional immunity” offered in Burundi.
In this case, of course, Gaddafi has already been referred to the International Criminal Court. Along the margins of the meeting, some Council members complained that too much power had been given to UN part time envoy al-Khatib, who hadn't even deigned to come to the June 15 meeting. The Western powers didn't want him to come, it was speculated. But what is he accomplishing?
Here is the full text of Ugandan representative Rugunda's June 15 closed door speech:
HE Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations At A meeting between the UN Security Council and the African Union High Level Ad hoc Committee on Libya
15th June, 2011
Mr. President,
1. Thank you for organizing this interactive dialogue. It is good that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has met the African Union (AU) Mediation Committee (High-Level Ad hoc Committee on Libya) so that we can exchange views on the situation in Libya in a candid and frank manner. This should have happened much, much earlier because Libya is a founding member of the AU. An attack on Libya or any other member of the African Union without express agreement by the AU is a dangerous provocation that should be avoided given the good, relaxed international situation in the last 20 years since the release of Nelson Mandela from jail and the eventual freedom of South Africa.
2. The UN is on safer ground if it confines itself on maintaining international peace and deterring war among member states.
3. Intervening in internal affairs of States should be avoided except where there is proof of genocide or imminent genocide as happened in Rwanda or against the Jews in Germany and the European Countries that were occupied by the Third Reich.
4. There are differences on the issue of Libya as to whether there was proof of genocide or intended genocide. Fighting between Government troops and armed insurrectionists is not genocide. It is civil war. It is the attack on unarmed civilians with the aim of exterminating a particular group that is genocide – to exterminate the genes of targeted groups such as the Jews, Tutsis, etc. It is wrong to characterize every violence as genocide or imminent genocide so as to use it as a pretext for the undermining of the sovereignty of States. Certainly, sovereignty has been a tool of emancipation of the peoples of Africa who are beginning to chart transformational paths for most of the African countries after centuries of predation by the slave trade, colonialism and neo- colonialism. Careless assaults on the sovereignty of African Countries are, therefore, tantamount to inflicting fresh wounds on the destiny of the African peoples. If foreign invasions, meddlings, interventions, etc, were a source of prosperity, then, Africa should be the richest continent in the world because we have had all versions of all that: slave trade, colonialism and neo-colonialism. Yet, Africa has been the most wretched on account of that foreign meddling.
5. Whatever the genesis of the intervention by NATO in Libya, the AU called for dialogue before the UN resolutions 1970 and 1973 and after those Resolutions. Ignoring the AU for 3 months and going on with the bombings of the sacred land of Africa has been high-handed, arrogant and provocative. This is something that should not be sustained or repeated. To a discerning mind, such a course is very dangerous. It is unwise for certain players to be intoxicated with technological superiority and begin to think that they alone can alter the course of human history towards greater freedom for the whole of mankind. Certainly, no constellation of states should think that they can recreate hegemony over Africa.
6. The safer way is to use the free gift God gave us – the ability to talk – in order to solve all problems.
7. The UN or anybody acting on behalf of the UN must be neutral in relation to the internal affairs of states. Certainly, that should be the case with respect to the African countries. The UN should not take sides in a civil war, for instance, in an African country. The UN should promote dialogue, reconciliation, the peaceful resolution of conflicts, and help in enforcing agreements arrived at after negotiations such as the agreement on the Sudan.
8. Regardless of the genesis of the Libyan problem, the correct way forward now is dialogue without pre-conditions. The demand by some countries that Colonel Muammar Gadaffi must go first before the dialogue is incorrect. Whether Gadaffi goes or stays is a matter for the Libyan people to decide. It is particularly wrong when the demand for Gadaffi’s departure is made by outsiders.
9. In order for dialogue, without pre-conditions, to take place, we need a ceasefire in place that should be monitored by the AU troops among others. This will help the AU to confirm the veracity of the stories of Gadaffi killing civilians intentionally.
10. That dialogue should agree on the way forward in the direction of introducing competitive politics. Gadaffi thinks that he has the most democratic system in the world of people’s authority – elected local committees. Since so much chaos in Libya has emerged on the issue, Gadaffi should see the wisdom of accepting competitive democracy. Gadaffi cannot ignore the fact that the rebels took over Benghazi and his authority melted away before NATO came in to confuse the picture. The pre-NATO uprising in Benghazi was, mainly, internal. Gadaffi may say that they were organized by Al Qaeda. Even if that is so, it is a fact that a sizeable body of the Libyans in Benghazi threw out Gadaffi’s authority or it melted away. Therefore, Gadaffi must think of and agree to reforms, resulting into competitive politics.
11. A transitional mechanism could, then, be worked out and elections – competitive elections – would take place after an agreed timetable.
12. What about security for the opposition members? We have plenty of experience on such issues. What did we do in Burundi? We provided a protection force (a brigade) for the Hutu leaders who were living outside Burundi or were in the bush. One of them is now the President of Burundi after winning democratic elections.
13. How about those who are alleged to have committed war crimes – including Gadaffi and the rebels? Again, our decision in Burundi is useful here. We used the concept of “immunité provisoire”, - provisional immunity – for all the stakeholders so that they could participate in the dialogue. After peace is realized, then a Truth and Reconciliation body could be set up to look into these matters. After democratic elections, trials of those that are guilty can take place.
14. Long term safety of every body can be ensured by security sector reform and especially reform of the army, so that it takes orders from any elected President.
15. The intervention in Libya was premised on the basis of protecting civilians and preventing further civilian deaths. civilians and preventing further civilian deaths. However, the humanitarian situation in Libya remains serious and continues to get worse with continued hostilities. Looking at how resolutions 1970 and 1973 are being implemented, the international community and the United Nations in particular, are being severely put to the test, as what is happening in Libya will undermine future efforts of the United Nations in the protection of civilians. There is, therefore, no need for any war-like activities in Libya because there is a peaceful, risk-free way forward. There has been no need for these war activities for many weeks now – ever since Gadaffi accepted dialogue when the AU mediation Committee visited Tripoli on the 10th April, 2011. Any war activities after that have been nothing but provocation for Africa. It is totally unnecessary war. It must stop.
16. The story that the rebels cannot engage in dialogue unless Gadaffi goes away does not convince us. If they do not want dialogue, then, let them fight their war with Gadaffi without NATO bombing. Then, eventually, a modus vivendus will emerge between the two parties or one of them will be defeated. The attitude of the rebels shows us the danger of external involvement in internal affairs of African countries. The externally sponsored groups neglect dialogue as well as building internal consensus and, instead, concentrate on winning external patrons. This cannot be in the interest of that country. Mobutu’s Congo as well as performance of all the other neo-colonies of Africa in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and their eventual collapse in the 1990s prove that foreign sponsored groups are of no value to Africa.
17. It is essential that the United Nations Security Council works with the African Union to ensure that a ceasefire is immediately established with an effective and verifiable monitoring mechanism and dialogue embarked upon, leading to a political process including transitional arrangements and the necessary reforms. The crisis in Libya requires a political solution and not a military one; and the AU Road Map is the most viable option.
Finally, what is needed on the issue of Libya is a genuine partnership between the United Nations Security Council and the African Union. By working together we can find a lasting solution to the crisis in Libya. I thank you.
