EGYPT: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urges Libya to stop attacking civilians and condemns use of violence by Yemeni government also

Record ID: 560773

  • Title: EGYPT: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urges Libya to stop attacking civilians and condemns use of violence by Yemeni government also
  • Date: 21st March 2011
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (MARCH 20, 2011) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) EXTERIOR OF EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING UN SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON ENTERING FOR MEETING WITH EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NABIL ELARABY VARIOUS OF PHOTO OP OF UN SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON MEETING WITH EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER NABIL ELARABY BAN AND ELARABY AT NEWS CONFERENCE JOURNALISTS SEATED AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "I sincerely hope and urge the Libyan authorities - -keep their words. They have already stated yesterday in the name of Foreign Minister and day before yesterday Prime Minister telephoned me urgently saying that they would fully comply with Security Council resolution, and putting all this hostilities to an end. Now they have been continuing to attack civilian population. This has to be verified and tested. I again urge them to stop fighting and fully comply with the Security Council resolution. That is the beginning to have discussions." JOURNALISTS SEATED AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) UN SECRETARY-GENERAL, BAN KI-MOON, SAYING: "I have issued a strong statement condemning the Yemenis authorities using live ammunition against the peaceful demonstrators asking for more freedom and democracy, asking for the freedom of speech. I strongly condemn and I have been urging them to stop such violent measures. I have been urging them to take a broad based reform, bold reform." JOURNALISTS AND DIPLOMATS AT NEWS CONFERENCE NEWS CONFERENCE UNDERWAY
  • Embargoed: 5th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt, Egypt
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA8GZJ0S0B0CNBMBFVINWH5ORZO
  • Story Text: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged Libya on Sunday (March 20) to keep its word and implement a ceasefire, saying that the government of Muammar Gaddafi was continuing to attack civilians.
    Ban made the comments after a meeting with Egypt's Foreign Minister on his first visit to Cairo since the Egyptian revolution that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak.
    The Secretary-General's comments came on a day in which Western forces pounded Libya's air defences in order to enforce a UN backed no-fly zone over the country.
    But their day old intervention received a diplomatic setback when the Arab League Secretary General, Amr Moussa, condemned what he called the 'bombardment of civilians' by the coalition that has intervened to stop Gaddafi supporters from overrunning opposition forces based mostly in the east of Libya.
    Today in Cairo UN chief Ban said the onus was on Libya to alter the current situation.
    "I sincerely hope and urge the Libyan authorities - - keep their words. They have already stated yesterday in the name of Foreign Minister and day before yesterday Prime Minister telephoned me urgently saying that they would fully comply with Security Council resolution, and putting all this hostilities to an end. Now they have been continuing to attack civilian population. This has to be verified and tested. I again urge them to stop fighting and fully comply with the Security Council resolution. That is the beginning to have discussions," he said.
    Ban also had strong words for the Yemeni government a day after snipers killed up to 42 anti-government protesters in a crowd that flocked to a sit-in at Sanaa University after Friday prayers.
    "I have issued a strong statement condemning the Yemenis authorities using live ammunition against the peaceful demonstrators asking for more freedom and democracy, asking for the freedom of speech. I strongly condemn, and I have been urging them to stop such violent measures. I have been urging them to take a broad based reform, bold reform," he said.
    UN Secretary General Ban had strong words of praise for the Egyptian revolution, saying that a wave of democracy was sweeping the region. He pledged UN support for Egypt in its transition to democracy.
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