AU recognizes new Libyan leadership
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 21, 2011 -- Updated 1119 GMT (1919 HKT)
NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil during a meeting with Barack Obama at the United Nations in the U.S.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- The body pledges to support the National Transitional Council
- The recognition marks another setback for ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi
- South Africa also says it recognizes the new Libyan leadership
(CNN) -- African Union officials have recognized the new Libyan government, marking another setback for ousted leader Moammar Gadhafi.
The body, made up of 54 nations, pledged to support the National Transitional Council as it works toward establishing an inclusive government.
"The African Union stands ready to support the Libyan people ... as they rebuild their country towards a united, democratic, peaceful and prosperous Libya," the bloc said in a statement Tuesday.
It urged Libyan stakeholders to promote national unity, reconciliation and democracy.
Sabha shows little resistance to NTC
Al Qaeda exploiting Libya's war?
Post-Gadhafi era moves forward
South Africa, a major player in the continent, also said it recognizes the new Libyan leadership .
"The South African government notes and welcomes the decision of the African Union to recognize the National Transitional Council as the representative of the Libyan people," the government said in a statement.
South African President Jacob Zuma has led the African Union mediation group on Libya, and has visited the North African nation as part of the peace efforts.
Zuma has slammed NATO's enforcement of the U.N. resolution authorizing protection of civilians during the Libyan civil war.
"We strongly believe that the resolution is being abused for regime change," Zuma said in June. "These actions undermine the efforts of the African Union in finding solutions to the problems facing its member states."
Before Tuesday, the AU had been slow to recognize the new leadership. Gadhafi served as chairman of the pan-African body in 2009.
The African Union also urged the new leaders to protect foreign workers amid reports that African migrants have been targeted over suspicions that they are pro-Gadhafi mercenaries.
Part of complete coverage on
January 10, 2012 -- Updated 1015 GMT (1815 HKT)
Nine-year-old Mahmood Ahmed was playing near his home in Zintan, western Libya, when he found a green object he had never seen before.
November 24, 2011 -- Updated 1633 GMT (0033 HKT)
Libya's newly appointed Cabinet faces a tough job. It must restore order, draft a new constitution and lead the country into democratic elections.
November 19, 2011 -- Updated 2128 GMT (0528 HKT)
After months in hiding, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi was finally tracked down in Libya's southern desert by fighters from the western Zintan mountains.
Click on countries in CNN's interactive map to see the roots of their unrest and where things stand today.
November 8, 2011 -- Updated 1139 GMT (1939 HKT)
One of Moammar Gadhafi's top security officials says the ousted Libyan leader spent his final days "worried and erratic."
For the latest news on developments in the Middle East and North Africa in Arabic.
October 20, 2011 -- Updated 2006 GMT (0406 HKT)
For 42 years, Moammar Gadhafi ruled Libya with an iron fist, a mercurial leader who inspired fear in Libya and beyond.
Not too long ago, the African stage belonged to Moammar Gadhafi -- with fellow leaders nicknaming him "king of kings of Africa."
November 8, 2011 -- Updated 1139 GMT (1939 HKT)
Mansour Daou is known as the "Black Box" of Moammar Gadhafi's regime -- like an aircraft's data recorder, he knows some of Libya's darkest secrets.
October 14, 2011 -- Updated 2158 GMT (0558 HKT)
On the outskirts of Sirte, a mansion lies in ruins. This was Moammar Gadhafi's home in the city of his birth.
Today's five most popular stories
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
|