Libyan rally against UN sanctions

South News, 14 November 1997

A Libyan rally headed to Tunisia to support unity among the Arab peoples and to condemn toughening the sanctions against Libya for its refusal to hand over two Libyan citizens suspected of exploding a Pan American plane over Lockerbie. The demonstrators also expressed anger at the UN sanctions imposed on Iraq.

Libya had confirmed its commitment with continuing work for achieving the comprehensive Arab unity from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arab Gulf as a necessity to encounter the dangers and challenges faced by the Arab nation in its presence and its future.

A celebration was held on the Libyan-Tunisian borders on the occasion of the passage of the Libyan rally to Tunisia, during which a popular meeting was also held in the Ras Gadid region in Libya. The march called on the Arab nation to lay aside all differences and to support efforts for Arab unity, especially at a time characterized by international alliances.

On Monday The African Group of States at the United Nations has formally requested an open debate in the Security Council on the dispute between Libya and the United States and the United Kingdom over the Lockerbie affair. The meeting should take place when the United Nations sanctions over the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya next come up for review and discussion, according to a letter submitted by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) committee designated to deal with the matter.

The Security Council imposed sanctions against Libya for failing to turn over two Libyan nationals suspected of involvement with the 1988 crash of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland as well as the 1989 crash of a UTA DC-10 over Niger.

In its most recent communication to the Security Council, Libya requested that the Council lift the sanctions against it. Libya has also asked that the review of sanctions take account of resolutions adopted by the OAU, the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Non-Aligned Movement which request that sanctions be lifted and that the two suspects be tried in a neutral country. The Security Council is also requested to send a representative of the Secretary-General to Libya to evaluate the impact of the embargo and to ascertain that there are no links between Libya and terrorism.