Americas

Home page

Americas

UN Security Council holds emergency Libya talks

22 February 2011 20:02 (UTC +04:00)

Libyan diplomats who have broken with strongman leader Muammar Gaddafi and demanded the meeting have called for a UN no-fly zone over the country and humanitarian action.

German ambassador Peter Wittig called the violence used by Gaddafiâ€™s forces "really shocking."

"It has regional and international implications. That is why we think it is a case for the Security Council and the council should act with a swift and clear message," Wittig said going into the meeting.

Ibrahim Dabbashi, the Libyan deputy ambassador who has called for Gaddafi to stand down and sent the letter demanding Tuesdayâ€™s meeting, said "we are expecting something to protect the Libyan people" to be decided by the UN Security Council.

The Security Council consultations are informal and diplomats from several nations said they would press for a formal meeting later in the day.

It is the first time the council has discussed the turmoil sweeping the Middle East and North Africa.

"This is clearly a different case from what we have seen in Egypt and Tunisia because of the scale of the violence and the use of mercenaries," said one diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The diplomat said his country would press at least for a statement which condemns the use of violence against Libyan civilians and calls for the protection of foreign nationals in the country.

Some human rights groups have said up to 400 people have been killed in the Libyan violence in which warplanes have carried out air strikes on demonstrators.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said he was "outraged" at the reports of air attacks. He spoke with Gaddafi on Monday and demanded an immediate halt to the violence.