UN votes to end no-fly zone in Libya

A session of the UN Council

UN votes to end no-fly zone in Libya

The United Nations Security Council has voted unanimously to end NATO's no-fly zone over Libya, despite the country's calls for a delay.

The 15-member body voted on Thursday to end the no-fly zone, in place since March, from 11:59pm Libyan time (21:59 GMT) on October 31.

Formal end to Libya operations

NATO, which carried out the airstrikes that played a key role in the downfall of Muammar Gaddafi, the former Libyan leader, is due to meet Friday in Brussels to formally declare an end to its seven-month-old air operations.

The meeting will also discuss new ways to help the National Transitional Council, which is now in control of Libya.

Report from the United Nations headquarters in New York, says a unanimous decision was not unexpected, but it came very quickly.

According to the report, there was a lot pressure on the council particularly from countries like Russia and China to wrap up the no-fly zone and NATO’s involvement in Libya.

The adopted resolution ends the protection of civilians’ mandate, the no-fly zone and also emphasises a need for the establishment of an inclusive and representative government in Libya.

Request for extension

Libya's deputy UN envoy, Ibrahim Dabbashi, had earlier told a UNSC meeting on Wednesday that the transitional council may have to ask for an extension of the mandate.

Dabbashi said Libyans were "looking forward to terminating the no-fly zone" and the mandate to protect civilians, but cautioned that Libya's armed forces were not yet ready to take on national security.

"We wish to ask you not to be hasty in adopting a resolution and we will inform you of the official decision of the NTC, which we hope will be done by the end of this month," Dabbashi told the meeting.

But many countries on the 15-member council wanted NATO to stick to its plan to end its Libya mission on October 31.

Russia's UN ambassador, Vitaly Churkin, said an extension past October 31 would be "unrealistic".

The decision comes a day after Libya's interim leader, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, urged NATO to continue its Libya campaign until the end of the year to prevent Gaddafi loyalists from leaving the country.

Aljazeera/Williams