China’s Ambassador to the United Nations Li Baodong votes to abstain in a resolution put forth at the UNSC calling for the implementation of a no-fly zone in Libya on March 17, 2011 at UN headquarters in New York. Ten members voted yes while 5 abstained: Brazil, China, India, Germany, Russia. (Photo AFP)
By Teja Yenamandra
Mar. 22 – Signaling perhaps the aligning of a new diplomatic bloc, BRIC nations have voiced a nearly unified opposition against recent U.S.-led airstrikes on Libya. During the United Nations Security Council’s vote to institute a no-fly zone over Libya last week, Brazil, Russia, India and China all abstained from voting.
The resolution commits members to “take all necessary measures, to protect civilians and civilian populated areas under threat of attack” and was jointly proposed by Britain, France and Lebanon, and backed by the United States. In total, 10 nations voted in favor, while permanent members China and Russia and non-permanent members Germany, Brazil and India abstained.
Regarding the political drift between the BRIC-block and South Africa (which voted in favor of the resolution), Nomfanelo Kota, a diplomat in South Africa’s New York Consulate, said, “African members (on the UN Security Council) were united and I wouldn’t want to argue that BRICS has been aborted as that would be too radical a conclusion to make.”
“This vote shows that our national capacity as a sovereign state has not been compromised as we can act through our convictions and not be constrained by bloc dynamics,” he later added.
The most direct implication of the institution of a no-fly zone is that the use of violence is authorized to prevent Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from using airpower to fight Libya’s rebels. The past three days have seen constant bombing of the Libyan government’s defenses, and although the United States’ stated position is that Gaddafi should be removed from office, the U.S. Department of Defense claims that Gaddafi himself is not the target of the attacks.
If the conflict continues, a worrying development may be Gaddafi’s move to position his defenses near population centers where civilians are heavily concentrated. Maintaining a no-fly zone over Libya will require a substantial military commitment, and the time-frame for UN coalition forces to remain engaged in Libya has not been clearly defined.
Early Tuesday, China called for an immediate cease-fire and talks to end the violence.
India too has stepped up its criticism of UN involvement in Libya.
“What is happening in a country, within their internal affairs, no external powers should interfere in it,” Pranab Mukherjee, India’s finance minister told lawmakers on Tuesday.
Russia, for its part, has always been vociferous in its condemnation, with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin calling UN involvement in Libya a “crusade.”
With President Barack Obama currently in Brazil, the lack of a strong statement from the country may be explained easily.
So far, the only nation to have officially recognized the rebel council in Benghazi, also known as the Interim Governing Council, is France.
