OWN CORRESPONDENT and AFP, Johannesburg | Thursday 9.30pm.
THE United Nations Security Council voted on Thursday extended sanctions against Libya for a further four months to press Tripoli to surrender two Lockerbie bombing suspects.
UN Security Council president Sir Jeremy Greenstock noted that the 15 members were formally offering to suspend the sanctions as soon as Tripoli hands over two Libyan suspects for trial in the Netherlands.
Greenstock, speaking as British ambassador, also sought to reassure Libya about the trial proceedings, after receiving a Libyan letter restating Libyan reservations about new British and US proposals for the trial.
Former intelligence agents Abdel Basset Ali el-Megrahi and Al-Amin Khalifa Fhimah are wanted in connection with the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 which killed 270 people. The Security Council on August 27 unanimously voted to suspend the UN sanctions imposed on Libya once the suspects are delivered to the Netherlands, where the trial is to take place under Scottish law and with Scottish judges.
But Libya is still seeking further guarantees, notably insisting that if convicted, the pair should serve their sentence. — AFP
* Meanwhile, the European Union decided on Thursday to partially drop some of its Nigerian sanctions — including those applying to sports and high-level visits — as a result of General Abdulsalami Abubakar positive steps towards returning the country to civilian rule. The EU has decided, however, to maintain its arms embargo and a ban on military cooperation and to keep most forms of development aid suspended until it is clear that Abubakar has delivered on his promises. The move, agreed by senior officials from the 15 EU countries on Monday, will be formally adopted under a written procedure which is due to be completed on Friday.
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