UN's Ban: brutal shedding of blood in Libya must be punished

UN's Ban: brutal shedding of blood in Libya must be punished

2011-02-24 11:51:50 GMT+7 (ICT)

UNITED NATIONS (BNO NEWS) -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned Libyan President Muammar Al-Qadhafi's actions against protesters as possible crimes against humanity, calling for the punishment of those who "brutally shed" the blood of innocents.

"I have strongly condemned, again and again, what he has done. It is totally unacceptable," Ban told reporters after returning early from a trip to Los Angeles to confer with his senior advisers on the Libyan crisis at UN Headquarters in New York.

"I am sure that the international community are considering a broad range of options," he said, referring to his own extensive appeal he made to the Libyan leader in a long telephone call on Monday to end violence immediately. "He has not heeded to that… the Government of Libya must meet its responsibility to protect its people."

Ban said that at this "critical juncture," it is imperative that the international community maintain its unity and act together to ensure a prompt and peaceful transition.

According to some media reports, violence in Libya has claimed over 1,000 lives.

Ban went on to say that the attacks on civilians are "egregious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law," condemning them, "loudly and without qualification."

"Those responsible for brutally shedding the blood of innocents must be punished," he stressed.

On Tuesday night, Ban said his conversation with Qadhafi was not an easy one, as the Libyan President appeared on state TV, according to reports, to call on his supporters to fight those protesting against his four decades in power.

In addition, on Wednesday, two pilots were reported to have crashed their warplane and parachuted to safety rather than execute orders to bomb the opposition-held city of Benghazi.

Furthermore, Ban applauded the decision of the Arab League to suspend Libya, saying that it was the first time the League had taken such an action on the domestic situation of one of its members.

Ban also told reporters that he and his top advisers were closely watching developments in Bahrain, Yemen and other countries in North Africa and the Middle East where protests have erupted against entrenched leaders. 2 "The changes underway in the Middle East are historic," Ban stated. Whether in Libya or elsewhere, our message must be consistent and strong: no violence. The time for change is now. The United Nations stands ready to assist the people of the region in meeting the challenges of this great transition."

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