It took about six weeks after the start of the ferocious bombing strikes against Libya by the United States and its NATO allies before the Caribbean Community (caricom) summoned the courage to let the people of our region know where it stands on this very bloody conflict. Better late than never.
And when CARICOM foreign ministers issued their statement last week, they opted to endorse – some say took “shelter” behind – the position earlier enunciated by the African Union (AU) with which our Community has an ongoing working relationship.
The AU, which, incidentally, had its inauguration in 1999 in the hometown of the embattled Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, had called for an immediate halt to the NATO bombing raids. Some have resulted in deaths, injuries and destruction for both the anti- and pro-Gaddafi forces. The AU, and also the Arab League, have called for a negotiated political, not military solution.
CARICOM foreign ministers have urged a speedy negotiated resolution that “would reflect the legitimate demands and aspirations (read that to involve respect also for democratic governance and national sovereignty) of the Libyan people . . . .”
Those among us in this region – where self-contempt runs deep, and who are ever so willing to side with the wealthy and mighty western powers – may cynically remark: “Who cares about CARICOM’s stand on Libya? After all we have no economic or political clout of any significance!”
They may even scoff at the AU’s plea for an end to bombings and expediently ignore that the US-led NATO war game in Libya is for “regime change” – getting rid of Gaddafi and his government.
It is, therefore, pertinent for our region’s governments and institutions to keep in mind a well known observation of the late William Demas, that outstanding political thinker and doyen among West Indian economists.
He passionately felt that neither geographical size nor economic resources should deter this region from taking principled stands on issues of international importance, particularly in relation to sovereignty and the rule of law.
CARICOM, therefore, now has a moral obligation to at least use its limited resources to help in mobilizing support – along with countries of the AU and Arab League – in backing the call earlier this week for a pause in the bloody conflict. It came from the United Nations’ aid chief Baroness Valerie Amos, who has explained to the UN Security Council why it is essential to have an immediate cessation in bombardment in Libya in order to ease a worsening humanitarian crisis.
Since the UN Security Council’s “no-fly zone” resolution in March, there have already been about 6 000 NATO military missions to Libya that resulted in thousands of deaths of Libyans and migrants (yet to be independently verified) who have been working in that North African state with which CARICOM countries have long established diplomatic and cultural relations.
The US-engineered war on Iraq to get rid of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship should not become the US/NATO guideline/example for “regime change” in Libya – or any other nation.
