Plea for civilians
The United Nations must not forget that its prime duty is protect civilians in Libya, as it intervenes in the war between Colonel Gaddafi and Libyan freedom fighters, the Evangelical Alliance (EA) has urged.
As the country approaches three months of war, Steve Clifford, general director for the EA, said that UN forces must place top priority on the protection of civilian lives in the North African nation.
He said, ‘We recognise that there are vastly differing attitudes to war among Christians, but war is always regrettable and must be seen as a last resort. We also recognise that the UN Security Council resolution of 1973, of which Britain is a signatory, was made to sanction a strict code of military action to restore international peace.
‘We ask that the current UN campaign does not go beyond its mandate and that civilian lives are protected in every possible way’.
The EA also expressed concern over the cost of the operations at a time when the UK’s Ministry of Defence budget has been slashed by 8 per cent, as well as cuts being made to other public services.
