London, February 24: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the Libyan government’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, calling for an end to the ‘bloodshed in the North African country.
Ban urged a “prompt and peaceful transition” in Libya and said that tough sanctions must be imposed on Libyan government.
UN Security Council has also expressed deep concerns about the use of force against peaceful pro-democracy protesters in Libya.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has said a no-fly zone may be imposed on Libya to protect the lives of protesters from the airstrikes that have killed hundreds so far.
The United States along with the European Union announced Wednesday they are considering sanctions against Libya for the brutal crackdown on protesters.
Security forces used heavy machine guns on Wednesday to break the crowds. However, more cities are falling out of the control of government forces.
Reports say there are more signs of defiance among army ranks as they disobey orders of opening fire on people and more soldiers are joining the popular revolution.
Though the violence in Libya has been condemned by world leaders, some Western countries have raised concerns over loss of their economical interests and have ignored the crimes against humanity committed by Gaddafi’s despotic regime.
The brutality of security forces against protesters has so far left at least 1,000 dead in the past few days, reports say.
——–Agencies