Tamil Guardian 27 August 2011
Whilst South Africa came into unexpected and ungainly confrontation
with Western states over Libya this week, the other African power,
Nigeria, has deftly come off the sidelines and joined the
international action.
Whilst South Africa is baulking at recognising the rebels' National
Transitional Council (NTC) as Libya's authority, Nigeria moved swiftly
to do so on Tuesday – just as the rebels overran Gaddafi's base-
complex in Tripoli.
See reports by Africa Report and Vanguard.
Both countries are presently members of the UN Security Council.
Both voted in favour of a UNSC resolution 1973, which paved the way
for the NATO air campaign that made possible the rebels' shock victory
over Muammar Gaddafi's regime.
The TNC has been recognised by more than 40 countries, including the
US, EU member states, several Arab states and twenty African
countries.
See Reuter's list on Wednesday and report Friday.
Russia and China have recognised the NTC as a legitimate political
force (though not Libya's sole authority), and Beijing has already
established diplomatic contacts.
Saying "Nigeria stands ready to work with the democratic forces in
Libya in this transition process," Foreign Affairs Minister Olugbenga
Ashiru added:
"The unmistakable message from the battle for the control of
Tripoli and other cities is that the people of Libya are anxious and
determined to take their destiny in their own hands and to ensure the
realisation of their own quest for freedom and democracy."
South Africa, meanwhile, has justified its not recognising the NTC on
the lack of an African Union (AU) consensus for the move – despite the
twenty African states' unilateral decisions.
On Friday, after eight hours of deliberations, the AU shied away from
recognising the NTC. Its rationale – put forward by South African
President Jacob Zuma at the meeting – was that it could not do so as
long as "there is fighting" in Libya.
Post-Gaddafi Africa
See our earlier post on South Africa's Libya dilemma here.
Some in South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) have a
residual loyalty to Gaddafi for supporting their struggle against
Apartheid.
The ANC has criticised Nigeria's recognition of the NTC as "jumping
the gun."
Also, several African states have benefited from Gadaffi's largess. He
was also instrumental in setting up the AU, which he also funded
generously.
Nigeria, however, has had fractious relations with Gaddafi. Last year
he advocated Nigeria's breakup as a solution to interreligious
conflict there, resulting in Abuja's ambassador to Tripoli being
withdrawn for a while.
More significantly, many analysts say a key aspect of a post-Gaddafi
era is that Nigeria and South Africa will compete more strongly for
leadership in Africa.
"Nigeria's financial and political influence could loom larger in the
post-Gaddafi Africa, where Libyan petrodollars and the Colonel's
machinations are no longer the force they once were," an analysis in
The Christian Science Monitor said.
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