African Union-European Union - The African Union’s (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) members will meet with the European Union’s Political and Security Committee Wednesday, to discuss the crisis in Libya, officials said Tuesday. South African ambassador Lungile Pepani, the current PSC Chairman for the month of May and the EU Permanent Security Committee’s Permanent Chair, Olof Skoog, are expected to Co-Chair the meeting to discuss a possible ceasefire in Libya. Earlier, AU officials said the PSC would also seize the opportunity of the forthcoming meetings between the two bodies to emphasise the need for a political solution to the Libyan crisis and to build an action-oriented international consensus to that end.

Although the AU officials said the meeting would discuss the ways and means of strengthening cooperation between the two institutions, the issue of stopping the Western bombardments is top priority.

The AU has recently denied suggestions that it was offering ‘kid-glove’ treatment to the Libyan authorities over their handling of the crisis in the North African nation.

AU Commission Chief Jean Ping said recently that the PSC condemned in the strongest terms possible the indiscriminate and excessive use of force and lethal weapons against peaceful protestors in Libya, in violation of the human rights.

The alleged indiscriminate use of force against the protestors led the international community to pass the UN Resolution authorizing the imposition of a no-fly zone over Libya and the use of other means to protect civilians.

The AU insists that it has been piling pressure regularly on the Libyan government regarding its responsibilities to protect its own population.

“The AU is deeply concerned by the ever-deteriorating situation in the city of Misrata and the resulting suffering inflicted on the local population and the African migrants workers trapped in the area,” the AU said in a statement.

The PSC officials are expected to emphasise its call on the Libyan authorities to build on their formal and unconditional acceptance of the AU roadmap, which includes the prospect of elections and to immediately and unilaterally declare a ceasefire.

Pana 11/05/2011