India supports African Union stand on Libya crisis
This assertion is seen as a clear disapproval of the military campaign that is being piled up on Moammar Gaddafi by NATO forces.
By P R Ramesh, ET Bureau | Updated:
ADDIS ABABA: India, which is expected to formally align itself with the mood in Africa against Western intervention in Libya, on Tuesday said the "decisions relating to Africa should be left to the Africans".
This assertion is seen as a clear disapproval of the military campaign that is being piled up on Moammar Gaddafi by NATO forces. In his interactions with leaders of the African Union (AU), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India completely backed the efforts taken by the organisation to deal with the situation prevailing in North Africa.
"India wants peace and tranquility to return to Libya. India favours a swift resumption of the political process in the country. In this we will support the position taken by the African Union," said Vivek Katju, secretary, West, in the MEA told reporters here.
He also said that the Addis Ababa declaration, scheduled to be adopted at the Africa India summit on Wednesday, will deal with the issue.
India has been consistent in its opposition to external interference in the internal affairs of nations. It may be recalled that both Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had voiced India's unhappiness over military action against Libya in Parliament.
AU has been maintaining that only a political solution will make it possible to promote peace in a lasting manner in Libya. The organisation has been working on a ceasefire plan that involves in dialogue between all Libyan parties.
The Libyan foreign minister had visited Ethiopia recently to hold talks with the African Union leadership on the ceasefire proposal. But the opponents of the ceasefire proposal are critical of the AU road map.
According to them, the AU has so far been ineffective in dealing with the violent clashes between Moammar Gaddafi loyalists and the rebels seeking to overthrow his government.
This assertion is seen as a clear disapproval of the military campaign that is being piled up on Moammar Gaddafi by NATO forces. In his interactions with leaders of the African Union (AU), Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India completely backed the efforts taken by the organisation to deal with the situation prevailing in North Africa.
"India wants peace and tranquility to return to Libya. India favours a swift resumption of the political process in the country. In this we will support the position taken by the African Union," said Vivek Katju, secretary, West, in the MEA told reporters here.
He also said that the Addis Ababa declaration, scheduled to be adopted at the Africa India summit on Wednesday, will deal with the issue.
India has been consistent in its opposition to external interference in the internal affairs of nations. It may be recalled that both Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had voiced India's unhappiness over military action against Libya in Parliament.
AU has been maintaining that only a political solution will make it possible to promote peace in a lasting manner in Libya. The organisation has been working on a ceasefire plan that involves in dialogue between all Libyan parties.
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The Libyan foreign minister had visited Ethiopia recently to hold talks with the African Union leadership on the ceasefire proposal. But the opponents of the ceasefire proposal are critical of the AU road map.
According to them, the AU has so far been ineffective in dealing with the violent clashes between Moammar Gaddafi loyalists and the rebels seeking to overthrow his government.
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