Killing of Gaddafi will be "regrettable precedent"

Accra, May 24, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings says killing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi will be a "regrettable precedent".

A statement issued by his office in Accra on Tuesday said he was speaking on the current situation in Libya following persistent air strikes targeted at Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli.

Former President Rawlings said: "Gaddafi's initial threats and actions may have invited this kind of intervention on himself.

"He has, however, been punished enough and going any further or killing him and his family will be setting a regrettable precedent. Africa and the developing world stand to lose the most. Let us therefore not wait to live with a very regrettable situation."

The former President expressed regret about the deaths of hundreds of innocent Libyans and combatants and said a way should be found to resolve the crises "rather than continue this violent pursuit".

"Arbitrary killings and unfair trials of targeted personalities is not the simple key to conflict resolution in Africa and other parts of the world," President Rawlings said.

The situation in Libya is currently high on the African Union's agenda. Over the weekend, the joint consultative meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council opened in Addis Ababa with Libya high on the agenda.

The meeting will be followed by an extraordinary session of the Assembly of Heads of State also in Addis Ababa on May 25-26 to review the state of peace and security on the continent with the situation in Libya as the priority.