Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


UN Chief: Perpetrators of Libya Violence Must be Held Accountable

   Margaret Besheer | United Nations  February 23, 2011
   UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (file photo)

Photo: AP

   UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (file photo)

   The  U.N.  Secretary-General  says  he is viewing events in Libya with
   "grave concern" and warned that those responsible for reported serious
   human  rights  violations  must be held accountable in the courts. Ban
   Ki-moon  also said he would be sending some of his senior officials to
   Egypt and Tunisia in the coming days.
   The  U.N.  chief  cut  short  a  trip to Los Angeles to return to U.N.
   headquarters  Wednesday  morning.  He  told  reporters  he  is closely
   watching  developments  in  Bahrain  and  Yemen,  but  is particularly
   concerned about Libya.
   "We  view the recent events in Libya with particularly grave concern,"
   said  Ban. "The current situation is unpredictable and could go in any
   number  of  directions,  many  of  them  dangerous.  At  this critical
   juncture,  it  is imperative that the international community maintain
   unity and act together to ensure a prompt and peaceful transition."
   Many  countries  were working Wednesday to evacuate thousands of their
   nationals,  as  the  crackdown on anti-government protesters spread to
   cities across Libya and reports of bloodshed continued.
   Ban said he "loudly" condemns reports of attacks on civilians and said
   those responsible must be held accountable in the courts. He urged the
   government of Libya to meet its responsibility to protect its people.
   "The  violence  must  stop," he said. "Attacks against civilians are a
   serious  violation of international humanitarian and human rights law.
   Those responsible for brutally shedding the blood of innocents must be
   punished."
   He  said  he  would  be  dispatching  several  senior  U.N. officials,
   including  his top political officer Lynn Pascoe, to Egypt and Tunisia
   starting Thursday, for consultations.
   Asked  if he supported calls for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi to step
   down, Ban said such matters should be determined by the Libyan people.
   He  also  refused  to  say whether he would establish his own panel of
   inquiry  into  events in Libya, saying he would wait to see what comes