Colombia’s government called upon the international community to take action in regards to the worsening humanitarian situation in Libya, the presidency’s website reported Monday.
In a round of dialogues held at the Foreign Ministry, President Juan Manuel Santos stated that “We are enormously worried, and for that reason we want to make a call to the international community to take more effective action to protect human rights for the population of Libya.”
Santos said that the Colombian government, as a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), will continue to pay close attention to the situation in Libya.
He added that Colombia supported the resolution presented by the Security Council.
The most recent UNSC resolution in regards to Libya was Resolution 1970 on 26 February, which referred the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) following violent repression of protests by the government of Muammar Gaddafi.
“We will continue to pay very close attention to our ability to help and collaborate in any rapid solution which allows us to stop the violation of human rights,” said the president.
On 23 February, Santos condemned the events in Libya via Twitter, writing: “What is happening in Libya is unacceptable. We condemn the way the population of this country is acted against.”
Severe and violent repression of the Libyan revolt by the Gaddafi government has led approximately 200,000 to flee the country, three weeks in to the revolt, according to UN statistics, reported BBC News. A total of 400,000 are projected to leave the country in the short term, and an additional 600,000 remaining in Libya are expected to need humanitarian aid.