Nigeria Explains Vote On No-Fly Zone Over Libya

Nigeria Explains Vote On No-Fly Zone Over Libya

Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Professor Joy Ogwu, has said that the magnitude of the humanitarian disaster in Libya, compelled Nigeria to vote in favour of a UN Security Council resolution authorising a no-fly zone over Libya.

Professor Ugwu gave the explanation on Thursday after the 15-member council authorised all necessary measures’’ to protect civilians from attacks by Col. Muammar Gaddafi forces.

The resolution

The resolution, which effectively authorised the use of force in Libya to protect civilians from attack, was passed with 10 votes to zero and five abstentions.

All the three AU members at the Security Council, namely Nigeria, Gabon and South Africa, voted in favour of the resolution.

The two veto-wielding members of the Council, China and Russia, abstained from the vote along with Germany, Brazil and India.

However, the resolution still scaled through since the Council needed only nine votes.

In passing the resolution, the Council expressed grave concern at the deteriorating situation, the escalation of violence, and the heavy civilian casualties in Libya.

Speaking after the vote, Ogwu said:  “The current state of affairs leaves an indelible imprint on the conscience and moves us to act.

“The magnitude of this humanitarian disaster is, indeed, what compelled Nigeria to vote in favour of this resolution.

Our persistent calls for peace are rooted in the need to ensure the safety, dignity and availability of humanitarian assistance for a population in need, many of whom are Nigerian nationals.”

Other supporters

Ogwu noted that the League of Arab States and the African Union had spoken with one voice in condemnation of the situation in Libya, since the crisis is one of regional import.

She, however, cautioned that, as a member of the Security Council and a member of the African Union, Nigeria maintains that foreign occupation is not an option to secure peace in Libya.

Guiding principles
“We acknowledge the language in Resolution 1973 (2011) that specifically carves out that possibility, constraining the actions of states seeking to play a role in the quest for peace,” she said

She noted that the council was guided by an overriding determination to respect the unity and territorial integrity of Libya.

Ogwu said that the council was also encouraged by the fact that the political path to conflict resolution is supported in the resolution, underscoring as it does, the efforts of the African Union High Level Committee, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy and other interlocutors.

NAN/Williams