UNESCO Suspends Cooperation With Libya

UNESCO Suspends Cooperation With Libya

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ( UNESCO ) has suspended cooperation with the Colonel Muammar Gaddafi-led Libyan government.

The Organisation announced in a statement that it had also suspended partnership with a charity group headed by the Libyan leader's son, Seif al-Islam Gaddafi.

UNESCO's action includes a halt to a 10 -year partnership deal with the Gaddafi International Foundation for Charity Associations , chaired by Seif al-Islam Gaddafi.

The charity helped UNESCO to fund its activities in Libya .

Rights violations

UNESCO explains that it took the measures after recent UN actions were critical of Libya 's human rights record .

On Tuesday , the UN General Assembly suspended Libya 's membership of the Human Rights Council for ''gross and systematic'' human rights violations because of the violent repression of civilians protesting against Gaddafi's regime.

On Saturday , the Security Council imposed sanctions on the regime and requested the International Criminal Court to look into the violent repression of civilians.

The U.S. Postal Service announced that it had suspended mail service to Libya owing to the lack of transportation to the North African country.

Defiance and resistance

Despite losing grip on some key areas of the country, President Muammar Gaddafi has continued to talk tough and dispatched forces loyal to him to key eastern towns.

Reports say Gaddafi loyalists bombed Ajdabiyah from the air and ground forces stabbed at Brega, a town on the Mediterranean with a major oil terminal that is about 780 km east of Tripoli . It says the offensive was swiftly repulsed.

Opposition soldiers also said troops loyal to Muammar Gaddafi had been pushed back to Ras Lanuf, home to another major oil terminal and 600 km east of Tripoli , a day after loyalists launched a ground attack on Brega that was repulsed.

Mohammed al-Maghrabi, a rebel volunteer and rebel Captain Bashir Gadr, speaking outside Brega, said: '' Gaddafi's forces are at Ras Lanuf, there are many of them. Our forces are in Brega and al-Ugayla.''

NAN/Reuters/Margaret/Qasim/Yinka