PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma says South Africa is against the Western powers mounting a military occupation of Libya.
At the weekend American and European forces fired cruise missiles on Libya, following a UN Security Council resolution banning all flights in the country's airspace.
Resolution 1973 banned all flights in Libyan airspace - and was supposed to stop embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from sending out his air force to bomb Libyan groups involved in a mass uprising against him.
Though the resolution authorises UN members "to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country", it also says there should be no foreign occupation of any part of Libya.
But Reuters reported yesterday that Arab League chief Amr Moussa said the weekend bombings by the US and European forces had killed many Libyan civilians.
This has led to widespread fears that the US and European powers were taking advantage of the UN Security Council resolution to invade and occupy Libya because it is an oil rich country.
"As South Africa we say no to the killing of civilians, no to the regime change doctrine and no to the foreign occupation of Libya or any other sovereign state," Zuma said at the Human Rights Day rally at Athlone Stadium yesterday.
"We call for an immediate ceasefire in Libya and an end to attacks on civilians.
"Operations aimed at enforcing the 'no fly zone' and protecting civilians should be limited to just that. They should not harm or endanger the civilians that Resolution 1973 sought to protect," Zuma said.
But the ANC Youth League yesterday wanted to know why the government had supported resolution 1973, when South Africa's allies - Brazil, China, India and Russia - had all abstained.
"While presented as a means of protecting Libyan civilians, the UN resolution is meant to impose the West's takeover of Libya.
"The US, UK and France want to impose a puppet government in Libya so that they can have access to its oil reserves, like the US did through the illegal war against Iraq in 2003," ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said.
'Don't invade Libya'
PRESIDENT Jacob Zuma says South Africa is against the Western powers mounting a military occupation of Libya.
At the weekend American and European forces fired cruise missiles on Libya, following a UN Security Council resolution banning all flights in the country's airspace.
Resolution 1973 banned all flights in Libyan airspace - and was supposed to stop embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from sending out his air force to bomb Libyan groups involved in a mass uprising against him.
Though the resolution authorises UN members "to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country", it also says there should be no foreign occupation of any part of Libya.
But Reuters reported yesterday that Arab League chief Amr Moussa said the weekend bombings by the US and European forces had killed many Libyan civilians.
This has led to widespread fears that the US and European powers were taking advantage of the UN Security Council resolution to invade and occupy Libya because it is an oil rich country.
"As South Africa we say no to the killing of civilians, no to the regime change doctrine and no to the foreign occupation of Libya or any other sovereign state," Zuma said at the Human Rights Day rally at Athlone Stadium yesterday.
"We call for an immediate ceasefire in Libya and an end to attacks on civilians.
"Operations aimed at enforcing the 'no fly zone' and protecting civilians should be limited to just that. They should not harm or endanger the civilians that Resolution 1973 sought to protect," Zuma said.
But the ANC Youth League yesterday wanted to know why the government had supported resolution 1973, when South Africa's allies - Brazil, China, India and Russia - had all abstained.
"While presented as a means of protecting Libyan civilians, the UN resolution is meant to impose the West's takeover of Libya.
"The US, UK and France want to impose a puppet government in Libya so that they can have access to its oil reserves, like the US did through the illegal war against Iraq in 2003," ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said.
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