Pretoria – President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday blamed European countries for the Libyan refugee crisis.
Addressing a group of foreign ambassadors and high commissioners in Pretoria, Zuma said European countries ignored the African Union’s proposal for peaceful intervention in Libya, destabilising the country, and should therefore welcome refugees from the north African country.
“What has happened? The consistent, systematic bombing by NATO forces undermined the security and caused conflicts that are continuing in Libya and neighbouring countries. That is why we have this problem (of refugees). It has not just popped up from nowhere,” Zuma said at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.
Zuma said African countries were ignored when they repeatedly proposed an alternative road map to the “destabilisation” of Libya.
“Today, those who were part of destabilising that part of the world don’t want to accept the refugees. It is their responsibility. They caused it and they must now address it. That is of absolute importance. It is the painful truth,” said Zuma.
He said South Africa is ready to assist Libya in post-conflict reconstruction and development projects. The southern African economic powerhouse also offered to help Libya with reconciliation efforts, and to formulate a Constitution for Libya.
Libya’s long time leader Muammar Gaddafi died in October 2011 during the Battle of Sirte. He was captured by National Transitional Council forces after he had been hiding in a culvert. He was killed shortly after his capture.
On Tuesday, Zuma claimed that before the 2011 Arab Spring, and the killing of Gaddafi, there were no refugees in the northern part of Africa.
“It was all quiet. Things were normal in the north of Africa. It was the action taken, the bombarding of Libya, and the killing of its leader, that opened the floodgates, firstly for serious tensions within Libya.
“The beginning of the refugee (crisis), at least from the African side, was triggered by that undermining of the security situation. As people grapple with the problem of refugees, we forget easily, we might think Africa suddenly has a problem where refugees are flooding Europe,” said Zuma.
The diplomats, present at the brifing, had been invited to the Presidential Guesthouse so Zuma could give them an update on South Africa’s foreign policy.
ANA