Zuma plays it safe over Libya
2011-08-27 14:53
Johannesburg - All groups claiming authority over Libya must come together to bring peace and stability in the country, President Jacob Zuma said on Saturday.
"They must all come together and negotiate a peaceful process that will lead to the formation of an inclusive transitional government and democracy in Libya," Zuma said on his return from the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Zuma chaired a meeting on Friday, where he announced that the AU would not recognise Libyan rebels as the legitimate government.
He said the AU believed that its road map was still relevant for Libya.
"We need inclusivity, a situation where all groups involved in the conflict sit around the table and solve the problem together," he said.
Zuma said if an inclusive transitional government was formed, it would then occupy Libya's seat in the AU.
Article 30 of the Constitutive Act of the AU, which states that governments that come into power through unconstitutional means, would not be allowed to participate in the AU, Zuma said.
"We cannot act outside of that."
The AU would continue to work with all Libyan counterparts and support efforts towards stabilising the situation in that country, he said.
It also encouraged a process leading to the formation of an all-inclusive transitional government.
The AU would continue to work with the United Nations, the League of Arab States, the Organisation of the Islamic co-operation, the European Union and Nato to support Libyans, Zuma said.
- SAPA
