African Union urges US, EU to ‘immediately stop’ attack on Gaddafi’s forces
March 20th, 2011 - 12:03 pm ICT by ANI
Nouakchott, Mar 20 (ANI): The African Union’s panel on Libya has urged the United States, France and Britain to ‘immediately stop’ their military action against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces.
Following a meeting for over four-hours in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, the body also asked Libyan authorities to ensure “humanitarian aid to those in need,” provide ‘protection to foreigners, including African expatriates living in Libya.’
It underscored the need for “necessary political reforms to eliminate the causes of the present crisis,” news.com.au reports.
American and European forces have begun a broad campaign of strikes against the Gaddafi regime, unleashing warplanes and missiles in a military intervention on a scale not seen since the Iraq war.
In Washington, the Pentagon said that American forces were targeting Libya’s air-defense systems, firing volley after volley of Tomahawk missiles from nearby ships against missile, radar and communications centers round Tripoli, the capital, and the western cities of Misurata and Surt.
Early Sunday, the sound of anti-aircraft fire and screaming fighter jets echoed across Tripoli, punctuated by heavy explosions.
Mohamed Zweid, the secretary of the Libyan Parliament, has called the intervention “a barbaric and armed attack” and said that it had “caused some real harm against civilians and buildings.” He, however, declined to specify which civilian buildings or locations were hit.
US President Barack Obama has said he was convinced it was necessary to save the lives of civilians in Libya. (ANI)
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