UN imposes sanctions on Gaddafi

UNITED NATIONS, 27 February 2011 (reuters): The UN Security Council on Saturday unanimously imposed what Washington said were "biting sanctions" in the form of travel bans and asset freezes on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his family.

The resolution adopted by the 15-nation council also called for the immediate referral of the deadly crackdown against anti-government demonstrators in Libya to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for investigation and possible prosecution of anyone responsible for killing civilians.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said measures imposed on Gaddafi and 15 other Libyans, including members of his family, were "biting sanctions." She added all those who committed crimes would be held to account.

"Those who slaughter civilians will be held personally accountable," Rice told the council after the vote. Speaking to reporters later, she praised the council's "unity of purpose" in approving the resolution's "tough and binding measures."

Libya's deputy UN ambassador, Ibrahim Dabbashi, one of the first Libyan diplomats to denounce Gaddafi and defect to the opposition, said the council's move will provide "moral support for our people who are resisting."

He added that it "will help put an end to this fascist regime which is still in existence in Tripoli."

British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the sanctions were "a powerful expression of the deep concern, indeed the anger, of the international community."

It had been unclear whether China, a veto-wielding permanent member of the 15-nation body, would join the consensus on the resolution. The Chinese delegation had been awaiting instructions from Beijing on how to vote until shortly before the vote, council diplomats said.
China backs sanctions


Chinese Ambassador Li Baodong told fellow council members concerns about the many Chinese nationals in Libya, most employed in the oil industry, had played a key role in his decision to vote for the resolution.

French Ambassador Gerard Araud spoke of a momentous transformation underway in the Middle East and North Africa.

"A wind of liberty and change is sweeping throughout the Arab world and I think the Security Council succeeded to respond to this new era of international relations," he said.

Diplomats said there was broad agreement on the council on the need to punish long-time Libyan leader Gaddafi and others in the North African country's ruling elite for attacks that have killed thousands of civilians.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Dabbashi on Friday urged the council to urgently impose sanctions on Libya's leadership. Ban said in a speech to the council that "even bolder action may become necessary" in coming days.

Council members were initially divided over whether to immediately refer the Libyan crackdown to the permanent war crimes court in The Hague. Diplomats said a number of council members, including China, Brazil, India and Portugal, had voiced reservations about the ICC language.

All of them eventually dropped their resistance to an immediate ICC referral, as called for in the British-French-drafted resolution, the envoys said.

The deadlock-breaker, envoys said, was a letter from Libya's UN delegation, which has denounced Gaddafi, to the president of the Security Council, Brazilian UN Ambassador Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, confirming it backs ICC referral.

Council's second ICC referral

Libyan UN Ambassador Abdurrahman Shalgam wrote to Viotti that his mission "supports the measures proposed in the draft resolution to hold to account those responsible for the armed attacks against the Libyan civilians, including through the International Criminal Court."

Human Rights Watch's Richard Dicker said in a statement "the Security Council tonight rose to the occasion and showed leaders worldwide that it will not tolerate the vicious repression of peaceful protesters."

The council has referred only one other case to the ICC - the conflict in Sudan's western Darfur region. The court has indicted Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al Bashir for genocide and other crimes against humanity in Darfur.

The resolution called for an end to the violence in Libya and said "the widespread and systematic attacks currently taking place in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya against the civilian population may amount to crimes against humanity."

Earlier this week Dabbashi urged the United Nations to impose a no-fly zone over Libya to protect rebel enclaves from forces loyal to Gaddafi. That proposal was not in the resolution.

The five permanent Security Council members are Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The 10 rotating members are currently Bosnia, Brazil, Colombia, Gabon, Germany, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Portugal and South Africa.