OAU votes to ease sanctions on Libya

OAU votes to ease sanctions on Libya

Despite criticism by the United Nations, the 34th summit of the Organisation of African Unity, meeting in the Burkina Faso capital, Ougadougou, decided on June 10 to lift partially the UN-imposed economic sanctions on Libya by September.

The sanctions the OAU wants to be lifted relate to religious, humanitarian and OAU-related affairs. It also threatened to lift all sanctions if the UN Security Council fails to review the measures at its July meeting.

The UN imposed sanctions when the United States accused Libya of responsibility for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in which all 270 passengers and crew were killed.

Britain and the United States claim that Libyan secret agents were responsible for the blast and want the sanctions maintained until the two Libyans accused are tried in either the USA or Britain.

Because it is unlikely that the two would get a fair trial in either country, Libya has offered to produce both suspects for trial in a neutral country. In deciding to lift the sanctions, the OAU summit noted the concessions by Libya, the sufferings of its people as a result of sanctions and the OAU's efforts to resolve the dispute.

From GLW issue 322