AU calls for political solution to Syrian crisis

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The African Union on Sunday urged the international community to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis.

On Saturday, the U.S., U.K., and France launched airstrikes on the Assad regime's alleged chemical weapons facilities in Syria.

The strikes came after the Assad regime was accused of carrying out a chemical attack in Syria's Douma, which killed 78 civilians and injured hundreds of others.

In a statement, the African Union said it “strongly condemns any use of chemical and other weapons prohibited under international law.”

“The African Union, which is strongly committed to multilateralism, underlines that any response to such acts ought to be based on incontrovertible evidence gathered by a competent, independent and credible entity and comply strictly with international law,” the pan African body said.

“Africa expects the United Nations Security Council members, especially those that are permanent, to put aside their differences and spare no efforts in the pursuit of global peace and humanity’s common good, in line with the responsibilities conferred upon them by the United Nations Charter.”

“The only sensible course of action,” the release said, “is the intensification of international efforts to find a lasting political solution based solely on the interests of the Syrian people and respecting the territorial integrity of Syria.”