Ghana and South Africa speak on Libyan situation

Ghana and South Africa speak on Libyan situation
Funke Atohengbe, Cape Town

Ghana says it has not received any request for asylum from Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi since rebels who have been fighting the government for months now over-ran the capital, Tripoli.

President John Atta Mills made this known while fielding questions from newsmen in Cape Town during his two-day state visit to South Africa.

The Ghanaian leader said if Gaddafi approached his country for asylum, Accra would consider it based on its merit.

“Ghana is studying the situation and will take an appropriate decision, taking into consideration what is in the best interest of our dear nation. As to whether we will welcome President Gaddafi if he should choose to come to Ghana, well he has not given any such indication; when he does, we will consider it on its own merit”, Mills said.

President Mills said the position of Ghana on the Libyan crisis has always been in line with that of the African Union which says the Libyan people should decide the future of their country.

AU stance

President Jacob Zuma of South Africa said the AU's stance on Libya did not in any way suggest the position of weakness. He said a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Commission on Thursday and Friday would take a position on the current situation in Libya.

“The AU will look at the situation and take appropriate decision given the developments now. But that does not necessarily stop individual countries which have national rights to take their own decisions”, Zuma explained.

The two leaders said they had no idea of the whereabouts of Colonel Gaddafi.

Ekata