Ban Ki-moon Insists on Urgent UN Mission in Libya

World | September 1, 2011, Thursday // 20:53
Bulgaria: Ban Ki-moon Insists on Urgent UN Mission in Libya Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon attend the family photo area at the Elysee Palace in Paris, 01 September, 2011, at the Friends of Libya conference. EPA/BGNES

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has declared he would work in order to get an immediate UN mission on the ground in Libya as the North African country is still in a civil war between dictator Muammar Gaddafi's forces and rebels.

Ban told senior envoys at the "Friends of Libya" conference in Paris Thursday night that the United Nations was ready to lead an immediate international mission to help get a post-Gaddafi Libya overcome the effects of its six-month civil war.

The UN head said based on his talks with Libyan, Arab, African and European leaders and "all agreed at this critical moment the international community must come together with an effective, well-coordinated program of action."

"I intend to work closely with the Security Council in crafting a mandate for a UN mission, with the express aim of beginning operations with minimum delay," Ban stated in Paris, as cited by Al Jazeera.

The UN Secretary-General stated the leaders of the rebels' Transitional National Council, which now forms Libya's rebel interim government supported his proposed humanitarian and state-building mission.

"Our most immediate challenge is humanitarian," he said. "Roughly 860,000 people have left the country since February, including skilled guest workers. Public services are under severe strain, including hospitals and clinics."

"There is a major water shortage. Meanwhile, sporadic fighting continues, particularly in the country's south. The future destiny of Libya must rest in the hands of the Libyan people," Ban declared stressing the need to back the new Libyan authorities in charge of the government of the country.

Speaking to the Friends of Libya conference after the UN chief, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Libya's interim leaders to seek reconciliation not retribution after their victory over Muammar Gaddafi and pledged support for the transition to democracy.

Clinton said NATO's military campaign should continue as long as civilians are under threat, but said U.N. sanctions should be lifted in a responsible way and the new leaders should be given Libya's UN Security Council seat.

"The work does not end with the end of an oppressive regime. Winning a war offers no guarantee of winning the peace that follows. What happens in the coming days will be critical," Clinton said in Paris.

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Tags: Ban Ki-moon, UN, UN Secretary General, UN Secretary-General, Libya, rebels, transitional National Council, Paris, Friends of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, Hillary Clinton

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