(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) The Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, and Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), has called on the people of Libya and the international community to intensify efforts to promote reconciliation and nation-building in that country.

In a statement following the death of Colonel Muammar Abu Al Gaddafi, Prime Minister Douglas said CARCOM recognized that Libya had entered a “critical and decisive transitional phase” and urged combatants on all sides to “lay down their arms in peace”.

The full text of the message reads:

The death of Colonel Muammar Abu Al Gaddafi marks the end of a painful and tumultuous chapter for the people of Libya who have endured a protracted conflict in that country over the past eight months.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) recognizes that Libya has entered a critical and decisive transitional phase, and calls on combatants on all sides lay down their arms in peace.

The Caribbean Community calls on the People of Libya, presently led by the interim National Transitional Council (NTC), as well as the international Community at large, to intensify efforts to promote reconciliation and nation-building within the country and to accelerate the transition to democratic governance where the rule of law is fully respected and basic human rights guaranteed for all. The Community also calls on the NTC to ensure the process of reconciliation and nation-building leads to the establishment of a constitutional and legislative framework for the democratic transformation of Libya, including the holding of free and fair elections.

The Caribbean Community is deeply concerned by the widespread reports of violations of human rights against former members of the Libyan government and minority groups, including migrants from Sub-Saharan countries.

The Caribbean Community calls for an immediate cessation to such inhumane and discriminatory actions that result in injury and death to civilians. The Caribbean Community has consistently reiterated its principled position of democratic principles of good governance, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights as espoused in the Charter of the United Nations. The Caribbean Community therefore calls on all parties involved, in particular the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the NTC, to ensure that these ideals are adhered to, and that support is given to the efforts towards the stabilization of Libya and the restoration of democracy in that country in a manner which reflects the lawful demands and aspirations of the Libyan people.