The Committee of the African Union (AU), meeting in Nouakchott to discuss the situation in Libya, rejected “any foreign military intervention whatever its form”, announced the Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in opening the summit.
The situation in Libya “demands urgent action for an African solution to the severe crisis of this brotherly country”, he continued. “The solution must conform to our commitment to respect Libya’s territorial unity and integrity”, the Mauritanian head of state added.
He acknowledged, however, that Thursday’s vote in the Security Council authorizes the use of force in Libya and the international summit in Paris has announced the start of military operations and therefore, the AU should, “in a responsible and efficient manner, take into account this new development”. “We must better coordinate our efforts with all our partners and all parties concerned to reach a quick settlement to the crisis”, added Mauritanian head of state, a former general.
Three of the five heads of state in the AU committee are participating in the meeting held at Nouakchott: Ould Abdel Aziz, Amadou Toumani Touré (Mali), and Denis Sassou Nguesso (Congo). South Africa (Jacob Zuma) and Uganda (Yoweri Museveni) are represented by ministers.