Zuma unhappy about Gaddafi warrant

2011-06-27 22:00

Johannesburg - President Jacob Zuma is disappointed with the decision taken by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue a warrant of arrest for Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on Monday, SABC radio news reported.

"President Zuma is extremely disappointed and concerned on the issuing of [a] warrant by the ICC against Colonel Gaddafi," presidential spokesperson Zizi Kodwa told the SABC.

"It’s quite unfortunate that the ICC could take such a decision whilst the African Union, through its ad hoc committee, has done so much and I think the progress so far signals that there's a commitment now from both the sides of the Libyan authority led by Colonel Gaddafi and the TNC [Transitional National Council]."

He said the issuing of the warrant undermined the work done by the AU committee.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and military intelligence chief Abdullah al-Senussi for crimes against humanity on Monday.

Zuma, who is on the committee, hosted the AU ad hoc high level committee on Libya in Pretoria on Sunday to discuss the implementation of the AU roadmap on Libya.

The African leaders said Gaddafi had agreed to stay out of negotiations on ending Libya's four-month political crisis.

The committee, which is chaired by Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Abdel Azizhas, held interactions with the Libyan parties on three occasions, including with Gaddafi and the TNC leadership in Tripoli and Benghazi in April.

Other members are heads of state of the Republic of Congo, Mali, Uganda and South Africa, as well as the chairperson of the AU Commission.

In May Zuma met with Gaddafi in Libya to discuss the peace process.

- SAPA