/ 21 May 1997

Libya violates sanctions

WEDNESDAY, 1.00PM

The sanctions committee of the UN Security Council says Libyan leader Moammar Kadhafi violated UN sanctions by flying in a flotilla of aircraft to Niger and Nigeria two weeks ago. Kadhafi also announced that he was flying to South Africa, but then returned home without explanation.

Niger and Nigeria have denied knowingly violating the UN sanctions. Libya has described the flight as “a religious one, 100 percent” and warned the council not to interfere.

An air embargo was imposed on Libya in 1992 after the bombing of a PanAm flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988 and the bombing of a French UTA airliner over Niger in 1989.