By now, it is crystal clear to everybody that the decision to support the United Nations Security Council Resolution Number 1973 unwittingly gave support to a military intervention by the West World in Libya. Fortunately, you have publicly rebuked the use of military force by the West in Libya and have also distanced South Africa from this action during our Human Rights Day commemorations at Athlone Stadium on the 21st of March 2011.

The Allied Forces, which seem to be the military wing of the Security Council, are brazenly and openly using lethal weapons in their quest to protect the so called civilians. However, recent reports show that the same civilians are the biggest causalities in this war, which goes against the main thrust of the UN Security Council’s Resolution. What is also strange is that, although the Allied Forces do not have forces on the ground, it would appear they have adopted the rebel forces and are giving them aerial cover in fighting the Libyan Forces. It is queer that the International Community treats the bullets that come from the barrels of the rebel forces differently from Libyan Forces’, as Libyan Forces’ bullets are portrayed as the only ones causing harm and injury to innocent civilians. It is clear that the rebel forces have an unfair advantage over the Libyan Forces due to their support from the Western Forces.

As one of the countries that was tasked by the African Union to resolve the Libyan crisis, this whole saga is very embarrassing because it gave the West permission to use military intervention against the African Union’s resolution and our country’s long held foreign policy position on African conflict and African problems in general. Given the fact that there is a no fly zone imposed by the UN Security Council Resolution Number 1973 in Libya, it is impossible that this delegation will be able to go to Libya.

In view of the fact that there is no other avenue left to pursue African Union’s resolution, we urge you to call for an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to review the 1973 Resolution, which has been hijacked by the West to achieve their own nefarious objectives. Such a move would help you to repeat what you articulated as South Africa’s position during our Human Rights Day commemorations held in Cape Town recently.

Recently, there have been meetings between the leaders of the Western Community, who are representing the Allied Forces, vociferously calling for a regime change in Libya and their actions on the ground seem to be intended to achieve exactly this purpose, something which was never mentioned in the UN Security Council Resolution 1973.

Finally, as we witness the biasness of the Allied Forces by giving aerial cover to the rebel forces on the ground in an effort to kill Libyan Forces and in the process kill innocent civilians; would it not be proper to call for the International Criminal Court to lay charges against the Leadership of the Allied Forces and Libyan Government Leadership collectively? It’s just a thought!

Bantu Holomisa

UDM President