South Africa says NATO abusing UN resolution on Libya

NATO is abusing a United Nations resolution to protect Libyan civilians from Muammar Gaddafi's forces in order to pursue regime change and political assassinations, South African President Jacob Zuma said on Tuesday.

Zuma, who has visited Libya twice since March on behalf of the African Union (AU) to seek a solution to the civil war, said NATO had overstepped the UN Resolution, passed in March and authorising the use of military force to protect civilians.

"We have spoken out against the misuse of the good intentions in Resolution 1973," he said in Parliament.

"We strongly believe that the resolution is being abused for regime change, political assassinations and foreign military occupation."

NATO defence chiefs were due to meet in Belgrade on Tuesday to discuss the mission after US defence secretary Robert Gates accused some European allies of failing to pull their weight in a mission he feared could run out of steam.

Zuma said events in Libya had emphasised the need for an African Peace and Security Architecture -- a planned crisis-resolution body that includes a stand-by military force.

The South African president said he hoped a briefing by an AU committee on Libya to the UN Security Council on Wednesday would lead to common ground being found towards a lasting solution to the crisis.