S/PV.5933
5933rd meeting
Friday, 11 July 2008, 4.10 p.m.
New York
Peace and security in Africa
Mr. Dabbashi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): Libya has been following very attentively and with great interest the devastating situation in Zimbabwe over the past few months. We are concerned about the ongoing tension between the Government and the opposition.
Through the African Union and in cooperation with its member States, we shall continue to endeavour to defuse the crisis in keeping with the decisions taken by the Union during its recently held eleventh summit at Sharm el-Sheikh.
As the Council is aware, the summit considered all aspects of the situation in Zimbabwe and recognized its complex nature. It also expressed its concern about the situation, as well as its appreciation for the efforts of South African President Mbeki and Mr. Jean Ping of the African Union to promote reconciliation between the political actors in Zimbabwe. The summit adopted a decision expressing the wish that Zimbabwe should resume dialogue and form a Government of national unity. We note that dialogue is now taking place under the aegis of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), represented by President Thabo Mbeki. We are pleased to note that the Zimbabwean parties resumed dialogue yesterday.
I would like to draw attention to the fact that the African Union decided to support the efforts of SADC and called for them to continue in order to help the people and leaders of Zimbabwe to resolve their problems. In that regard, the African Union has appealed to the parties concerned to avoid any action likely to have a negative impact on the climate of dialogue. The African Union has confirmed that the people of Zimbabwe are capable of resolving their problems if they are given the joint support of SADC, the African Union and the international community at large.
SADC and the African Union are supporting the people of Zimbabwe as they strive to preserve their territorial integrity and sovereignty. However, the draft resolution before us today does not serve those objectives. It is in conflict with Article 52 of the Charter of the United Nations, which pertains to regional arrangements, and specifically with paragraph 3 of that Article, which states that
“[t]he Security Council shall encourage the development of pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies either on the initiative of the States concerned or by reference from the Security Council.”
The draft resolution before the Council is based on the assumption that the situation in Zimbabwe poses a threat to peace and security in the region. That assumption is undermined by the fact that the dispute is between Zimbabwean parties and that neighbouring countries affirm that the situation is in no way a threat to regional peace and security. That is why the situation in Zimbabwe does not fall within the purview of the Security Council’s mandate. The draft resolution before us also constitutes a violation of Zimbabwe’s sovereignty and interference in its internal affairs. That fact is underscored by the first paragraph of the draft resolution, which deliberately omits any reference to Zimbabwe’s sovereignty. Security Council resolutions have always reaffirmed the Council’s adherence to the principle of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.
Imposing sanctions on Zimbabwe would hinder African efforts to resolve the crisis in the country through SADC. Sanctions would have serious consequences for the people of Zimbabwe and create a climate of tension that would in no way be conducive to finding a solution to the problem. Imposing sanctions now would be contrary to the international consensus that sanctions are a last resort to be used when all other means have been exhausted. That is especially relevant given that there is no justification whatever for imposing sanctions. We fear that one of the parties may regard the draft resolution as tacit support for it, which could embolden that party to increase its demands and to refuse to enter into or to continue dialogue to resolve the situation.
Libya, whose leadership has always worked to strengthen the African Union and has continuously endeavoured to resolve African conflicts in the context of African good offices, cannot endorse the draft resolution before the Council and will vote against it.
