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As world leaders met Tuesday in London to discuss the Libyan situation, hundreds of members of a group called Pan Africanists from Uganda and other African countries held protests in Kampala against the U.S. and her allies who have been bombarding Gaddafi’s military machinery and weapons pursuant to a UN Security
Council approved ’No-Fly Zone’ over Libya. Meanwhile, after Qatar, the United Arab Emirates has become the second Arab nation to join the ’No-Fly Zone’ effort.
Fred Bamwine, operations coordinator of a group called Pan Africanists told reporters in Uganda that the coalition forces, led by the United States, "are deceiving the world that they want to save Libyan civilians against Libyan troops but the fact is that they are interested in oil".
"We, the pan Africans can not simply look on as USA and her allies attack Libya with the intention of killing Gaddafi so that they steal the oil. We have given them three days to stop or else we will mobilze a force of 4 million fighters and go to Libya and fight alongside troops that support Gaddafi," he added.
As hundreds of members of the group demonstrated in the streets of Kampala, Uganda, Kampala city police commander Grace Turyagumanawe told the press that police had "deployed heavily at U.S. and other embassies" after reports indicated that some people were planning to attack them.
Waving placards reading, "Americans are barbaric killers" and "Down with Sarkozy", one of the protestors, Juma Kama, said: "We are ready to go and fight for Gaddafi. He is a true African who never accepted to be threatened by the West. They are now using the excuse of protecting civilians to throw him out of his country so that they steal oil."
Libya for the people
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, yesterday told world leaders at the London conference on Libya that Coalition military action in Libya will continue until Muammar Gaddafi complies with the terms of United Nations security council resolution 1973 as she implored them to make sure that the north African country "belongs not to a dictator, but to its people".
And according to British Prime Minister, David Cameron, "Gaddafi is using snipers to shoot [the people of Misrata] down and let them bleed to death in the street. He has cut off food, water and electricity to starve them into submission.
"He continues to be in flagrant breach of the UN security council resolution. That is why there has been such widespread support amongst the Libyan people - and in the wider Arab world - for the military action we are taking. It has saved lives, and it is saving lives."
Last week, Britain’s senior military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. John Lorimer, told the press that although the countries enforcing the no-fly zone had not been able to stop all Col. Gaddafi’s attacks his forces were "losing aircraft, tanks, guns that they cannot replace" as his "ability to use these weapons against his own people is diminished daily".
"We have prevented a potential massacre ... This coalition military action will continue until Gaddafi fully complies with the terms of 1973, ceases his attacks on civilians, pulls his troops back from places they have forcibly entered and allows key services and humanitarian assistance to reach all civilians," Hilary Clinton told world leaders yesterday in London.
Three goals set by the London conference on Libya included (1) the international community’s commitment to UN security council resolution 1973 which allowed for "all necessary measures" to protect civilians in Libya, (2) ensuring that humanitarian aid is delivered to the Libyan people, and (3) helping the Libyan people plan for their future once the conflict is over.
Arab states
The United Arab Emirates has become the second Arab nation to join the "No-Fly zone" effort after Qatar. So far twelve countries are involved in enforcing the UN Security Council approved ’No-Fly Zone’ over Libya since March 18, 2011.
Other countries directly involved in the "No-Fly Zone" effort include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States.
The United States government has however expressed its eagerness to cede control of operations to a broader coalition of nations.
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