Monday, February 18, 2013

Abayomi Azikiwe, PANW Editor, Featured on Press TV World News: 'Libyan Rebels Unable to Create Political Unity'

Libya unable to create an atmosphere of genuine political unity: Abayomi Azikiwe

Sun Feb 17, 2013 6:59PM GMT

To watch this interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, just click on the website below:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/02/17/289473/libya-unable-to-create-political-unity/

"This is what the rational is from the proponents of the intervention of 2011 and it appears as if the leadership inside the country are calling essentially for the same thing because they cannot reign in the militias, they cannot create a situation where there can be genuine political and economic unity inside of this North African state despite its riches and wealth."

A political analyst tells Press TV that there hasn’t been any achievement or progress in Libya over the last year and a half since the rebel organization took control of the country.

The comments came after Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan announced that the government had taken a series of security measures for marking the second anniversary of an uprising that toppled former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, which is due to take place on Sunday. Meanwhile, the opposition has called for demonstrations across the country. It says the government has failed to rebuild Libya, which still lacks a permanent constitution.

Press TV has conducted an interview with Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire, to further discuss the issue. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.

Press TV: About two years on from the toppling and death of Muammar Gaddafi, the government now in place has no constitution, etc. What have been the achievements of the so-called revolution?

Azikiwe: There really haven’t been any achievements of the counter revolution that took place, which began two years ago in Libya. Even many of the people who were apologists for the removal of the Jamahiriya under Muammar Gaddafi are now admitting that the entire process has been in an abysmal failure.

There has been a number of articles that have been published by people even within the Atlantic Council and other publications that in fact were cheerleaders for the United States and NATO intervention in Libya in 2011. Of course the leaders themselves of the General National Congress have called for deeper imperialist intervention, calling for the closing of the borders and also demanding that the US engineer some type of security system inside the country.

So we cannot say that there has been any progress that has been made in the country over the last year and a half since the rebel organization took control of the capital.

Press TV: And what about the country's integrity? I mean there are indications that the oil-rich parts of the country are moving towards self-rule. How much does disintegration threaten Libya?

Azikiwe: It [threatens it] considerably. If you look at the fact that in Europe you have greater economic concentration among the industrialized countries there, also you have the same situation with the BRICS countries in various geopolitical regions of the world; you have the North American Free Trade Agreement that brings together, Canada, United States and Mexico.

So the disintegration of a country the size of Libya does not bode well for its future economic and political development. I believe that eventually there will be large scale US and NATO boots on the ground inside the country.

This is what the rational is from the proponents of the intervention of 2011 and it appears as if the leadership inside the country are calling essentially for the same thing because they cannot reign in the militias, they cannot create a situation where there can be genuine political and economic unity inside of this North African state despite its riches and wealth.

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