By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

June 13, 2011(ADDIS ABABA) – US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, on Monday urged African leaders to review their position over Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, and collectively call for the leader to step-down.

US secretary of state, Hilary Clinton (AFP)

The African Union (AU), a 53-member pan African body, declined to join calls for the ousting of Gaddafi, and instead called for an end to NATO air strikes in Libya.

Clinton stressed that the repressive governance have no more room in the world and urged the AU to join the rest of the world in supporting the western-led coalition seeking the oust of the Libyan leader, even though the North African country is one of the AU’s biggest donors.

"I know it is true that over many years Mr. Gadhafi has played a major role in providing financial support for many African nations and institutions, including the African Union," she said. "It has become clear by the day that he has lost his legitimacy to rule and that we are long past the day when he can remain in power."

She urged all African leaders to demand that Gaddafi accept a ceasefire and leave Libya.

"Your words and actions could make the difference in bringing this situation to a close and allowing the people of Libya to get to work rebuilding their country […] The world needs the African Union to lead."said Clinton.

She warned African leaders that unless they enact broad social, economic and political reforms, similar revolts sweeping in the Middle East will similarly echo in Africa.

Clinton said, "The status quo is broken and the old ways of governing are no longer acceptable."

She added that governments must treat their people with dignity, respect their rights and deliver economic opportunity. She said unprecedented uprisings in the Arab world were sign that African leaders ignore their citizens’ demands at their own peril.

"Too many people in Africa still live under long-standing rulers who care too much about the longevity of their reign and too little about the legacy that should be built for their countries’ future. Some even claim to believe in democracy defined as one election, one time," she said.

"After years of living under dictatorships, people have demanded new leadership in places where their voices have long been silenced they are exercising their right to speak at the top of their lungs".

Clinton, who was in a three-nation African tour, is the first US secretary of state to speak to the AU.

VOLCANIC ERUPTION FORCES CLINTON TO CUT SHORT HER VISIT

US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton cut short cutting short her two-day stay in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia on Monday after a volcanic eruption created an ash cloud over the northern part of neighbouring Eritrea.

An official at Addis Ababa airport, who ask to retain his anonymity, told Sudan Tribune that the airport may be closed if the ash cloud approaches Addis Ababa and could threaten safe routes.

Clinton was scheduled to leave on Tuesday afternoon.

The US official was scheduled to meet north Sudan’s vice president, Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and South Sudan president Salva Kirr on Monday to discuss the ongoing Abyei conflict.

Bashir has reportedly said northern troops will leave Abyei in a meeting in Addis Ababa on Monday. His troops have occupied the contested border region since 21 May. It was reported that soldiers associated with South Sudan attacked northern soldiers and the UN on 19 May.

The Government of South Sudan claims 150,000 people have been displaced to the conflict.

South Sudan will become an independent country on 9 July. Tension between north and South Sudan have been increasing, especially in border regions such as Abyei. What will happen to the region after independence is still unknown.

According to Afar regional office of mines and energy, the volcano erupted on Sunday in Eritrea, near the border with Ethiopia.

“After a heavy explosion the volcano erupted on Sunday at 3:30 local time at Asambo area of Eritrea close to Ethiopian borders” Yasin Kedir, a geologist within the office told Sudan Tribune.

“It has caused cloud ashes in Ethiopia regions of Afar and Tigray and we are evacuating people from the area for safety and also to prevent any health complication’’

According to Kedir the volcanic eruption has triggered two earth quakes with a magnitude of 5.7 on the Richter scale – moderate in strength

There are no reports of causalities.

(ST)