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| Africa North | |
| Muggsy demands that TNC talk to Gaddafi | |
| 2011-09-26 | |
| President Robert Mugabe Sunday called for Libya's transitional government and its leader to negotiate with fugitive Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi as a precondition for recognizing it, dpa reported. Mugabe threatened that until the talks with Gaddafi happen, his country and African leaders would not recognize the Transitional National Council (TNC), headed by Mustafa Abdul Jalil.
The African Union (AU) recognized Libya's Transitional National Council as the representative of the Libyan people as they form an all-inclusive transitional government that will occupy the Libyan seat at the African Union. South Africa, the continent's power house, also individually recognized the TNC. Last week, the United Nations recognized the TNC as representing Libya, and Abdul Jalil met with US President Barack Obama and other world leaders. During months of ongoing protests and harsh reprisals against demonstrators in Libya, South Africa and other African countries had tried in vain to negotiate a peace between Gaddafi and the rebels. Mugabe, 87, made his remarks upon his arrival at Harare international airport from his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly. In his speech in New York, he charged that NATO had "invaded" Libya to benefit from the country's oil. "As far as we are concerned, the African position is that the (TNC) can only have a seat in the AU if the summit of the AU recognises that in fact they are in control," Mugabe told reporters. "We will not go as far as European and NATO countries to recognise them as the absolute authority as we still want negotiations between the (TNC) and the Gaddafi loyalists," Mugabe said. Last month, Harare expelled Libyan ambassador to Zimbabwe Taher Elmagrahi and his entire staff after he openly supported the transitional council. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |