WINDHOEK, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Namibia is deeply concerned about the ongoing developments in Syria, a senior official said on Monday, adding that unilateral action is incompatible with the United Nations Charter.
As a state party to the United Nations Chemical Weapons Convention, Namibia welcomes a statement issued by the African Union on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said in a statement.
"For the sake of the people of Syria and peace in general, we call on the UN Security Council to live up to its charter obligations and find a lasting solution to bring about peace in Syria, through peaceful means," she added.
Nandi-Ndaitwah said unilateral action is incompatible with the UN charter and risks undermining the effectiveness of the very institution created to resolve conflicts.
"The United Nations Security Council must remain united and pursue common justice, peace, security and stability through dialogue and diplomacy based on the principles of multilateralism," she said.
In its statement on Sunday, the African Union Commission called on world powers to undertake international efforts to solve the Syrian civil war that respects the territorial integrity of Syria.
The statement by AUC chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat said while he condemns the use of chemical weapons, primacy should be given to international efforts to find lasting political situation for the Syrian civil war solely based on the interests of Syrian people.
"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," said the AU statement.
"AU 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, including the primacy of the UNSC for any recourse to force," the statement added.
On Saturday morning, the United States, France and Britain conducted airstrikes on Syrian government targets following reports of alleged chemical weapons use in Douma, near the capital city Damascus, on April 7.
The Syrian government has strongly denied the allegation, calling for the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to send a fact-finding mission for investigations.
However, the three nations carried out the strikes on the day the mission just arrived in Damascus.