Member of Parliament for the Efutu Constituency, Hon. Alexander Afenyo Markins has indicated that,  the International community has failed in its effort in restoring democracy to Libya, as well as ensuring the protection of human rights, with these damning revelations in Libya. 

He said, the main objective behind the invasion of Libya by the Non-Aligned Treaty Organization (NATO) Forces was to restore democracy and ensure the protection of human rights, which he sees this objective by the international community as having failed, especially considering occurrences of recent times, and the fact that Libya has not seen sustained peace since.

According to him, it is however, important to put on record that the invasion of Libya by the NATO Forces was backed by United Nations (UN) Resolution.

He indicated that, the international community sought the authorization of the UN and that, Africa did not oppose when it came to the debate.

Mr. Speaker, it would be recalled that on the 19 March 2011, a multi-state NATO-led coalition began a military intervention in Libya, ostensibly to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. The United Nations Intent and Voting was to have an “immediate ceasefire in Libya, including an end to the supposed attacks against civilians, which it said might constitute crimes against humanity, imposing a ban on all flights in the country’s airspace, a no-fly zone and tightened sanctions on the Gadhafi led regime and its supporters.”

The resolution was taken in response to events during the Libyan civil War; with military operations beginning with American and British naval forces firing over 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles, with the French Air Force, British Royal Air Force, and Royal Canadian Air Force undertaking sorties across Libya and a naval blockade by Coalition forces with French jets launching air strikes against Libyan Army tanks and vehicles; leading to the collapse and death of Muamar Ai-Gadhafi himself and his government. Events thereafter have resulted in political unrest with interest groups taking advantage. Hon. Afenyo Markings has disclosed.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament as part of his contribution to a statement by the Foreign Affairs Minister on the Libyan issue, Hon. Martkins revealed that, the essence and principle behind the intervention was the known principle of the responsibility to protect.

Mr. Speaker, It had become obvious that though there was a government in Libya, there were issues involving human rights and excesses of some actions; that notwithstanding, the essence of the intervention was to restore democracy and ensure respect of human rights.

He said events thereafter however have not been as expected; that is ensuring that democracy is restored and that a government works for the benefit of its people.

He asserted that, this amounted to a failure on the part of the international community in respect of its own objectives of ensuring democracy with a functioning central government and Parliament, which respects human rights, allowing every interest group to take advantage and entrench its interests, whether to the detriment of human and national existence or not.

He also agreed that, the issue should be approached in a bi-partisan manner, adding that as a country, Ghana needs to implement policies aimed at giving hope to the people, stating that interventions such as the Free SHS policy and many like policies aimed at economically empowering the citizenry would go a long way to reduce the menace of illegal migration of the youth.

He therefore called on the international community to be proactive in dealing with the current worrying situation in hand, adding that they went to the UN General Assembly through the Security Council for a resolution to intervene in Libya, so it is expected that ECOWAS and AU lead the call in drawing attention of the UN on the need to intervene in Libya once more in ensuring that human dignity is restored and respected.

 

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