AU pledges to push for all-inclusive government in Libya
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Xinhua, September 15, 2011
The African Union (AU) on Wednesday continued to call on Libya to establish an all-inclusive government and pledged to take efforts on it.
The pan-African body made the call when its High-Level ad hoc Committee on Libya met at the level of heads of state and government in Pretoria, South Africa on Wednesday.
South African President Jacob Zuma was hosting the meeting, which also gathered the Republic of Congo's President Denis Sassou Nguesso and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, as well as Mauritania's and Mali's ambassadors accredited to Pretoria.
"To that end, the ad hoc Committee committed itself to working with the NTC (National Transitional Council) and all other Libyan stakeholders towards the goal of the early establishment of an all inclusive national unity government," Ramtane Lamamra, AU's commissioner for peace and security said after almost seven hours of discussion by the committee.
A number of African countries have recognized the NTC, but the AU has so far refused to do so and is instead sticking to its "roadmap" for Libya, which calls for an inclusive government in the country.
The AU has attempted to mediate a peace deal between the NTC and the government of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The NTC leadership addressed a letter to the chairperson of the AU stressing the commitment to give priority to the national unity and to bring together all Libya stakeholders, without any exception, to rebuild the country.
"The ad hoc Committee recommended to the Peace and Security Council (PSC) to encourage NTC to spare no efforts in ensuring its effective follow-up to live up to its pledge to formally institute an all- inclusive transitional government," Lamamra said.
The panel is also ready to work with the United Nations, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the European Union, and NATO to ensure a coordinated action.
The committee again urged that there be an "immediate cessation of hostilities" in Libya. They also expressed concern of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons arising out of the Libyan conflict.
