CARICOM breaks its silence on the death of Gaddafi
CARICOM Chairman, Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, in a statement also expressed concern of widespread reports of violations of human rights against former members of the Libyan government and other minority groups, including migrants from Sub-Saharan countries.
“The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) recognizes that Libya has entered a critical and decisive transitional phase, and calls on combatants on all sides lay down their arms in peace,” said Dr. Douglas, who is the St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister.
The CARICOM Chairman called on the Libyans, presently led by the interim National Transitional Council (NTC), as well as the international community, to intensify efforts to promote reconciliation and nation-building within the country and to accelerate the transition to democratic governance where the rule of law is fully respected and basic human rights guaranteed for all.
“The (CARICOM) Community also calls on the NTC to ensure the process of reconciliation and nation-building leads to the establishment of a constitutional and legislative framework for the democratic transformation of Libya, including the holding of free and fair elections,” said Prime Minister Douglas.
He said that CARICOM has consistently reiterated its principled position of democratic principles of good governance, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights as espoused in the Charter of the United Nations.
“The Caribbean Community therefore calls on all parties involved, in particular the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the NTC, to ensure that these ideals are adhered to, and that support is given to the efforts towards the stabilization of Libya and the restoration of democracy in that country in a manner whichreflects the lawful demands and aspirations of the Libyan people,” Prime Minister Douglas said.
The United Nations and international human rights groups have been calling for an independent investigation into Gaddafi’s death after members of the transitional government in Libya confirmed that Gaddafi, who had been captured alive, last Thursday, had died later of his wounds.
International media organisations said that when he was captured video footage showed Gaddafi, who ruled Libya for 42 years, dazed and wounded, but still clearly alive and gesturing with his hands as he was dragged from a pick-up truck by a crowd of angry jostling group of government soldiers who hit him and pulled his hair.
On Monday, Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said that “extra judicial killings should never be supported or promoted” as he denounced the manner in which the former Libyan leader was killed last week following his capture.
“Like any civilised society we will never condone the manner in which a person is killed. We will never tolerate it, irrespective of who the person is, or what the person may have done, or alleged to have done.
“Extra judicial killings should never be supported or promoted by any civilised nation,” Skerrit told reporters.