[size=14pt]Syria: South Africa explains abstention from UN draft resolution[/size]

Agency Reporter


South Africa's Department of International Relation and Co-operation, has said that the country abstained from voting on the recent UN Security Council resolution on Syria because previous resolutions have been abused.







The department's spokesperson, Clayson Monyela said in a statement that the implementation of other resolutions passed by the Council went far beyond the mandate of what was intended.

"In the resolution before us, South Africa was concerned about the sponsors' intention to impose punitive measures, which would have prejudged the implementation of the resolution. We believe that these were designed as a prelude to further actions,'' Monyela said.

Monyela said government was also concerned that the resolution was part of a hidden agenda to institute a regime change in Syria.

"Accordingly, we are concerned that the sponsors of this resolution rejected a language that clearly excluded military intervention in the resolution of the Syrian crisis.

"Pretoria is of the view that a holistic political solution must be found that would respect democracy, political reform, justice, human rights as well as the socio-economic development needs of the people of Syria, in order to ensure long-term peace and stability.

"This solution must also preserve the unity, sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Syria."

He added that Syria was integral to a wider resolution of the Middle East conflict, which meant that its stability was linked to that of its neighbours.

"Therefore, any action by the international community on Syria, including action by the Security Council, should be cognisant of the regional implications.

"Pretoria hoped the situation would be resolved in a peaceful manner in accordance with the will of the Syrian people. It also called for maximum restraint from all the parties in the conflict.

"We demand an immediate end to all violence in Syria. We urge the Syrian authorities to initiate an open, transparent and all-inclusive political process with its people to address their grievances in order to guarantee their fundamental political rights and freedoms, including their rights to freedom of assembly and speech,'' Monyela said.

The statement also called on Syrian authorities to facilitate access by humanitarian agencies, including the UN, in accordance with relevant international human rights and humanitarian laws.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the draft resolution had strongly condemned Syrian authorities for their violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters r and called for an immediate end to human rights abuses.

Nine of the Council's 15 members voted in favour of the draft text, there were two vetoes, and four other countries abstained.

A veto by any one of the Council's five permanent members - China, France, Russia, the UK and the US - means a resolution cannot be adopted.

According to the UN, an estimated 2, 700 people have been killed in Syria since mid-March when the protest movement began.

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?datex=2010&theartic=Art201110111193735

It is glaring that South-Africa is shifting her policies to favour chinese and russian interests. There seems to be an anti-west alliance among the big emerging economies(BRICS) These countries want to move away from dependency on the west and support themselves so that they will quickly overtake the US and western nations in the nearest future. It is strategic, i think pretoria beleives it's a wise decision to follow the chinese rather than the Americans, that is why they didn't give the Dalai Lama a visa to South Africa

E be like say aloy dey live for SA. everytime na so SA news. Wetin consine you sef

morpheus24:

E be like say aloy dey live for SA. everytime na so SA news. Wetin consine you sef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkh_UJDzG_0&feature=related

morpheus24:

E be like say aloy dey live for SA. everytime na so SA news. Wetin consine you sef

Omo both of you are like that'o.The only difference is that you are more knowledgeable and a bit balanced,where as Aloy is spitting fire all the time,he hate SA with passion,if he dey get a bad story for SA,he go paste it for Nairaland.I dey think he's full of big bakasi.

RSA:

Omo both of you are like that'o.The only difference is that you are more knowledgeable and a bit balanced,where as Aloy is spitting fire all the time,he hate SA with passion,if he dey get a bad story for SA,he go paste it for Nairaland.I dey think he's full of big bakasi.

Se this boy O!. Who dey teach you pidgin. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Too much Nairaland e go shine my eyes'o.You dey vex now?
I no fit talk again? I dey tire for oyibo talk talk

RSA:

Omo both of you are like that'o.The only difference is that you are more knowledgeable and a bit balanced,where as Aloy is spitting fire all the time[b],he hate SA with passion,[/b]if he dey get a bad story for SA,he go paste it for Nairaland.I dey think he's full of big bakasi.

Who hates RSA?

aloy/emeka:

Who hates RSA?

You Aloy! I have followed most of your posts,you have big interest in SA but you focus a lot in negative stuff, why? Omo tell me now!

RSA:

You Aloy! I have followed most of your posts,you have big interest in SA but you focus a lot in negative stuff, why? Omo tell me now!

You are very wrong. I actually love RSA. The countries I hate in Africa are Sierra Leone and Liberia because they are still owing Nigeria over $100BN in war expenses.