from Judy Miriga

Folks,

The revolution in Libya is what the people of Libya wanted, a forced change from Gadaffi Regime. It is a forced change because Gadaffi was uncooperative to the wishes and needs of the people of Libya. Gadaffi did not want the change because he loved power and control. Gadaffi enjoyed keeping Libyans under the bondage of slavery in an oppressive rule. Those who envied his rulership felt pity for him, not realizing they are next in line. The wind of change is blowing and no amount of resistance will stop it from taking its natural course.

I am saddened that Kenya’s Coalition Government dont get it, their statement over influencing for negotiations with Gadaffi was long past and for them to call for such is tatally misplaced and to many, it is taken with bad taste. The Kenya Coalition Government must honor and respect the will and wishes of the people of Libya by recognizing the National Transitional Council of Libya, in their achievement to Revolution struggle from dethroning Gadaffi from power. This is what the majority of Libyan people want.

It was in February 28th 2008 when Kibaki and Raila Odinga signed a power-sharing agreement to form a joint Government after weeks of negotiations led by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Even before then, Kenyans have longed for change for fair good governance free from corruption. It is for this reason why Kenyans are still not satisfied with Kibaki and Raila leadership. Things have gone bad to worse.

Libya’s Revolution demonstrated the power and will of people in the wind for change in the Revolution. Unfortunately, Kenya’s Coalition sympathy to Gadaffi confirm their syndicate to conspiracy involvement was deeper than was suspected, and it is believed they wish to continue in their corrupt deals like it is with Rwanda’s Fugitive Kabuga. If the window of corruption is closed and sealed throughout, there will be opportunity to combating terrorism effectively, as these are the masters of financial support that which fuels private army and thugs who terrorizes and frustrates democracy and freedom.

These are signs that must be observed carefully and must be taken serious by all good citizens of the world. however, Kenyans must continue to pressure the two principles, Kibaki and Raila to dissolve Coalition Government now as their mandate to office is over.

In Love, God Bless us all……

Cheers ……..!!!

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

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At Paris conference, Ban pledges UN support for
democratic and stable Libya

1 September 2011 –

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today pledged the continued assistance of the United Nations in helping Libya tackle its humanitarian challenges, as well as in building a democratic and stable nation once the current conflict is over.

Six months after the world leaders met to agree on joint action to prevent a massacre of Libyan civilians, they reconvened in Paris today for the International Conference in Support of the New Libya, hosted by President Nicolas Sarkozy of France and Prime Minister David Cameron of the United Kingdom. Mr. Ban told the gathering that the most immediate challenge is on the humanitarian front, with some 860,000 people having left the country since February, when opposition forces rose up against the regime of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi as part of a wider pro-democracy movement across North Africa and the Middle East. In addition, public services are under severe strain, including hospitals and clinics, there is a major water shortage, and sporadic fighting continues, particularly in the country’s south.

“Looking beyond the immediate humanitarian crisis, it will be essential to work closely with the Libyan leadership to identify their needs and priorities,” stated the Secretary-General, who was accompanied by his Special Envoy for Libya, Abdel Elah Al-Khatib, and his Special Advisor for post-conflict planning, Ian Martin. “Once those needs are identified, we will have to act in harmony and in a coordinated manner to ensure effective, collective action,” he added. He said his discussions with leaders of the National Transitional Council (NTC) as well as with representatives of regional organizations had resulted in a clear message.

“All agreed that, at this critical moment, the international community must come together with an effective, well-coordinated program of action,” he stated. “All agreed, as well, that the United Nations should lead that effort.”

He outlined three principles that will govern the planning for the post-conflict stage – national ownership, speed of response, and effective coordination. “It is essential that the international community respond in the moment of need – not weeks or months down the road,” he noted. Mr. Ban said he intended 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. In the meantime, Mr. Martin will travel to Tripoli immediately to begin on-the-ground planning for the UN’s operations. The Secretary-General added that he will convene a high-level meeting on Libya on 20 September in New York on the margins of the 66th session of the General Assembly “to take stock and calibrate our efforts on behalf of the new Libya and its people.” Prior to the conference, Mr. Ban met separately with Nabil El-Arabi, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States; Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the Chairman of the NTC; and Jean Ping, Chairman of the African Union Commission.

Ban seeks urgent deployment of UN mission to help Libya rebuild

26 August 2011 –

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today summoned major regional organizations to join the United Nations in helping the new Libyan authorities deliver immediate emergency aid and provide a democratic transition after the ouster of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi’s regime.

He said the Security Council, which makes the decisions on such matters, had assured him of their support for the rapid deployment of a UN mission in Libya, adding that its decision yesterday to release to the authorities Transitional National Council (TNC) $1.5 billion in Qadhafi regime assets that it had frozen under sanctions a welcome step.

“At this moment of great transition, we must come together with an effective, well-coordinated programme of international action,” he told the heads of the African Union (AU), Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union in a video conference from UN Headquarters in New York. “All of us now must work together and respond rapidly to requests from the Libyan transitional authorities for assistance.”

He noted that his Special Adviser for Post-Conflict Planning Ian Martin and his Special Envoy for Libya Abdel-Elah Al-Khatib met with National Transitional Council (NTC) leaders in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday to discuss needs after the deadly fighting in which Mr. Qadhafi’s opponents have taken control of much of the country, including most of Tripoli, the capital.

“As do other international leaders we have consulted in recent days, they expect the United Nations to play an ‘essential, pivotal role’ in the country’s future,” he said. “In addition to immediate humanitarian assistance, particularly as it relates to medical help, they placed special emphasis on early support for elections, transitional justice and policing, as well as longer-term assistance in socio-economic recovery, rule of law and institution-building.”

While there is growing recognition that the crisis in Libya has entered a final and decisive phase, enormous challenges remain to be met as fighting continues in many parts of the country, including Tripoli, Sirte and Sabha.

“Lives continue to be lost. The destruction of property and livelihoods has been tragically heavy,” he said. “There are widespread shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, particularly in the Nafusa Mountains and Tripoli. Reports on the ground suggest that the water supply to the capital and surrounding region may be in danger, putting approximately three million people, or more, at risk.”

After the video conference Mr. Ban told reporters all participants agreed that the international community must come together with an effective, well-coordinated programme of action, with the UN playing “an essential coordinating role,” although it is up to the Libyan people to determine their future.

Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro told the AU Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that the UN sees the AU as a key partner in helping Libya to rebuild. “When the United Nations and the African Union work together, we succeed,” she said.

She noted that there had been differences between the AU and other nations and regional organizations on the Libyan crisis, with some African States reportedly opposing the UN-backed bombing campaign by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to protect civilians from Mr. Qadhafi’s forces. “Now is the moment, however, to look to the future,” she said.

“Together, we must encourage the new leadership to undertake every effort to protect civilians and public institutions, to maintain law and order, and to promote national reconciliation and unity,” she added, calling for the establishment of a government that can deliver on its people’s hopes.

Qaddafi Vows No Surrender as ‘Friends of Libya’ Meet in Paris
September 01, 2011, 12:27 PM EDT

By Gregory Viscusi and Helene Fouquet
(See EXTRA for more on the Libyan conflict.)

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) — Leaders of the coalition that helped push out Muammar Qaddafi gathered in Paris as the Libyan strongman called on his loyalists to reject surrender and exhorted them to fight until the country is “engulfed in flames.”

The “Friends of Libya meeting” is being jointly chaired by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron, who pushed for the United Nations Security Council resolution that authorized the military campaign, which began March 19 when French jets destroyed a loyalist armored column about to attack the rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

Qaddafi, in comments on an audio tape released by Syrian- based Arrai television today, said his remaining loyalists in Bani Walid and Sirte won’t surrender, following an ultimatum by the National Transitional Council that they lay down their arms or face attacks.

“We will not give up. We are not women,” Qaddafi said in the recording. “Let the fight be long, let Libya be engulfed in flames.”

The National Transitional Council extended by a week a Sept. 3 deadline for Qaddafi loyalists in his hometown of Sirte to surrender, the council’s U.K. coordinator, Guma Al Gumaty, said today in a telephone interview.

“The negotiations are going well, and we believe that this will end peacefully before the new deadline expires,” he said.

Paris Talks

The 60 delegations attending the one-day Paris meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace will mark a shift from backing rebel aspirations to supporting the new leaders of Libya as they try to establish order and restore their economy.

The nations taking part include those that participated in providing air cover for the rebels — such as the U.S., France, Britain, Italy and Qatar — as well as Germany and others that refused to commit military forces.

“With the countries present, with the UN, with the Arab League, with the African Union, we will turn the page on dictatorship and combat to open a new era of cooperation with a democratic Libya,” Sarkozy told France’s ambassadors yesterday at their annual gathering in Paris.

The U.S. is represented by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the UN by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Other attendees include German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheik Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani. China sent vice foreign minister Zhai Jun, while Russia sent Mikhail Margelov, special envoy for Africa and the Middle East. Tunisia and Morocco dispatched their prime ministers, and Egypt its foreign minister.

Alliance to Government

The transitional council needs to convert from an anti- Qaddafi military alliance into a caretaker government able to unite regional and political factions, restart the country’s oil exports and organize elections.

Already, the Financial Times reported that council members have fallen into dispute over the $65 billion Libyan Investment Authority sovereign wealth fund, and Amnesty International has accused some rebel forces of targeting black Libyans and sub- Saharan Africans they suspect supported Qaddafi. Amnesty said that it was told during visits to detention centers in Zawiya and Tripoli that between a third and a half of those detained were from Sub-Saharan Africa.

The NTC leaders “have said the right things, but their ability to enforce those lofty ideals on those with the guns in the streets is a lot more difficult,” Shashank Joshi, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said yesterday in an interview.

Rebel Control

While the capital is under rebel control, Qaddafi himself has not been found. The coastal city of Sirte and the southern town of Sabha are the key remaining bastions of Qaddafi loyalists, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, the NTC chairman, said earlier this week.

A man identified as the fallen leader’s son, Saif al-Islam, said yesterday that he has 20,000 armed loyalists in Sirte and that “no one is going to surrender,” according to an audio statement broadcast on Arrai satellite television.

Another of Qaddafi’s sons, Saadi, has been in negotiations to turn himself in, according to rebel statements. “We are ready to do anything to stop the bloodshed,” he said yesterday in a telephone call to Al Arabiya television, asserting that he was speaking on behalf of his father.

Clinton Meets Jalil

Clinton met today with Jalil and NTC Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril as well as Sarkozy and Cameron.

A large part of Paris meeting is about what the NTC and the Friends of New Libya would like to see in a UN mission in Libya, including what they’d like to see immediately versus what sort of longer-term mandate the UN should have, said a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue.

The goal, the official said, was to put a little more shape to the idea of a UN mission. He also said that getting a UN peacekeeping team on the ground quickly could be helpful for technical assistance as the new leadership works to stabilize the country.

In a separate meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, Clinton discussed the Middle East peace process, events in the Middle East, including Syria, and the Balkans, among other issues.

Syria Focus

While focused on Libya, Clinton has used the meeting to press home to European allies the importance of following through on energy-related sanctions against Syria, said a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak on the record.

Russia recognized the transitional council as the North African country’s legitimate government, the Foreign Ministry said today on its website.

Algeria will also recognize Libya’s new government when it is formed, Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci said today on France’s Europe1 radio station.

Qaddafi’s wife, Safia, daughter Aisha and two sons, Hannibal and Mohammed, with their wives and children, crossed the border from Libya into Algeria on Aug. 29, where they were granted exile. The Libyan rebels said the Algerian government committed “an act of aggression” and demanded their return.

France is pushing for the UN to unfreeze Libyan assets to allow Libya’s new leaders to restore essential services and pay civil servants. France wants 1.5 billion euros ($2.1 billion) released by the end of the week, said a French official who briefed reporters on the condition he not be named.

EU Lifts Sanctions

The European Union lifted sanctions on 28 Libyan entities because anti-Qaddafi forces control them, the 27-nation bloc said today in an e-mailed statement in Brussels.

The Libyan entities will be disclosed tomorrow, when the decision is published in the EU Official Journal. Among the businesses are six port authorities, a person familiar with the matter said yesterday.

Britain’s Royal Air Force flew 280 million dinars ($233 million) to Benghazi yesterday to help end a shortage of cash, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in an e-mailed statement.

Libya’s oil exports have been shuttered since the start of the fighting six months ago, with output slumping to 60,000 barrels a day in July compared with 1.7 million barrels in January, according to the Paris-based International Energy Agency. Libya holds Africa’s largest oil reserves.

Eni SpA will seek to restart its Greenstream natural gas pipeline linking Libya to Europe by Oct. 15, Chief Executive Officer Paolo Scaroni told the Italian news agency ANSA yesterday.

–With assistance from Christopher Stephen in Tripoli, Jonathan Stearns in Brussels, Caroline Alexander in London, Nadeem Hamid and Nicole Gaouette in Washington and Paul Abelsky in Moscow. Editors: Leon Mangasarian, James Hertling.

To contact the reporters on this story: Gregory Viscusi in Paris at gviscusi@bloomberg.net; Helene Fouquet in Paris at hfouquet1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Hertling at jhertling@bloomberg.net; Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net

Kenya: Now Govt Wants Libya Talks
31 August 2011

Kenya does not recognise the rebels fighting to dethrone Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi.

The Foreign Affairs ministry said in a statement it had not recognised the Libya National Transitional Council (NTC), the political wing of the rebels who have literally flushed the long serving Libyan leader out of the capital, Tripoli.

The government maintained that only political dialogue between the warring parties could resolve the political crisis in the northern African nation.

“The impression that Kenya has recognised the NTC is inaccurate. In consideration of the prevailing circumstances and future prospects of peace in Libya, Kenya advocates for political dialogue that culminates in the formation of an all-inclusive transitional governing authority for the Libyan people,” the statement read.

“In line with the AU roadmap for Libya, Kenya believes that only a political solution will resolve the situation and fulfil mutually reinforcing objectives of peace, democracy, respect for human rights, the rule of law and reconciliation that are critical to sustainable peace,” the statement went on.

Many African nations have been reluctant to recognise the Libyan rebels, with Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe expelling the Magreb country’s ambassador for disowning Gaddafi and recognising the TNC.

Harare had earlier pledged to pardon envoy Taher El Megrahi if he hoisted Colonel Gaddafi’s flag at the mission.

Last week, acting Foreign Affairs minister George Saitoti, said Kenya was willing to work with Libya’s interim authorities in restoring the country.

Prof Saitoti said Kenya would cooperate in restoring order, forging reconciliation and national cohesion, restoring infrastructure and reviving the economy.

“Kenya stands ready to work with the people of Libya, the African Union and the international community to help build a new Libya,” Prof Saitoti said in a statement and asked the interim authorities to establish political dialogue with both the AU and international community.

“With the impending collapse of the regime of Col Muammar Gaddafi, Kenya urges that all efforts be exerted for the early restoration of peace and stability in Libya,” he said.