THE Federal Government has disclosed that the recognition accorded the Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) by the United Nations (UN) through its Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, as well as the African Union (AU) and South Africa on Tuesday have finally vindicated Nigeria’s position that the new interim government in Tripoli is the legitimate government of Libyans.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru, who spoke to The Guardian on Wednesday from the United States (U.S.) where he is currently part of the government’s delegation to the UN meeting, said that it was not surprising that the global body overwhelmingly supported the admission of NTC, which led to its Chairman, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, occupying the seat of Libya at the ongoing meeting.

Ashiru also said that as he earlier predicted, the African Union (AU) and South Africa finally acknowledged that power has indeed changed hands in Libya on the same day.

The minister revealed that the decision of the AU, and by extension, that of South Africa to recognise the NTC was decided at a meeting hosted by President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday.

He said that “Nigeria’s position has been proved to be correct,” adding that “the Federal Government will proactively continue to act decisively on issue concerning Nigerian interests. We are also going to be at the forefront of speaking and acting on issues concerning Africa’s interests.”

In the same vein, the former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative at the UN and Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. George Obiozor, supported the position taken by the Federal Government on the Libya’s crisis.

He said that although most of the western countries recognised the NTC before Nigeria, the country took the best decision by recognising the NTC when there was no binding position by AU on the issue.

“Also, remember that we have a lot of Nigerians in Libya and it was in our interest to recognise the NTC because the safety of Nigerians should be in our interest.

“Also, nations act in their own interests and this works in competition with one another. But it was in Nigeria’s interest as it did in the case of the Libyan crisis,” he asserted.

In the case of the recognition by AU and South Africa, Obiozor said it was inevitable that they must recognise the NTC “because they must ask themselves that in whose interest are they withholding the recognition when the UN had decided to give Libyans’ seat to the NTC.”

On Tuesday, the UN, through its secretary-general, had congratulated the NTC’s chairman on the apparent success of the Libyan revolution.

“For Libya, this is a historic day,” Ban said, directing the new Libyan flag to be presented alongside the UN flag.

The move drew a standing ovation from those in attendance at the UN.

Also, President Barack Obama promised the NTC and Libyan people that the world would stand with them as they reshape their country following the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

At a high-level UN meeting on Libya on Tuesday, the president warned that there would still be difficult days ahead in Libya, as Gaddafi loyalists make a final stand and the country’s provisional leadership grapples with the complex task of setting up a new government. But Obama said it was clear that Libya was now in the hands of the people.

South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Co-operation had announced on Tuesday that both the AU and South Africa now recognise the National Transitional Council as the government of Libya.

The recognition came after both the AU and South Africa refused to recognise the NTC, sparking a speculation that African governments were divided on Gaddafi, as well as in their response to the war in Libya.

South Africa and the AU came under severe criticism for their failure to recognise that Gaddafi had indeed fallen, solemnly professing neutrality to what they deemed to be a “domestic squabble.”

However, at the conclusion of the AU’s “high-level ad hoc committee on Libya” in Pretoria last Wednesday, the committee stressed the need for a “united African position,” an indication that the African Union peace and security council would meet in the margins of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week “to review developments and take appropriate positions to reinforce efforts to bring peace, democracy and development, in Libya; including ensuring a united African position”.

According to a statement, the AU was finally encouraged by assurances made by the NTC to the chairman of the AU Commission, Jean Ping, on its “strategic commitment to the African continent,” “to give priority to national unity and to bring together all Libyan stakeholders, without any exception, to rebuild the country” and a “commitment to protect all foreign workers within Libya, including the African migrant workers.”

-Guardian

Posted by admin on Sep 23 2011. Filed under Africa & World Politics, Latest Politics, United Nations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry