Pretoria - US President Barack Obama has strongly condemned the violence in Libya, labeling the bloodshed in that country as outrageous.
"The suffering and bloodshed is outrageous and it is unacceptable. So are threats and orders to shoot peaceful protesters and further punish the people of Libya. These actions violate international norms and every standard of common decency. This violence must stop," Obama said.
Libya is currently experiencing a wave of anti-government protests, following similar recent waves which toppled old regimes in Tunisia and Egypt.
Security forces in Libya have allegedly killed people during clashes with demonstrators,
who are calling for political and economic reforms in the country ruled by Muammar Gaddafi for more than 40 years.
The Libyan government had a responsibility to refrain from violence, allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need, and to respect the rights of its people, Obama said.
If the Libyan government failed to meet these responsibilities it had to be held accountable, he added. "This is not simply a concern of the United States. The entire world is watching, and we will coordinate our assistance and accountability measures with the international community."
The US sternly supported the universal rights of the Libyan people, including the rights of peaceful assembly, free speech, saying these were human rights that were not negotiable.
"They must be respected in every country. And they cannot be denied through violence or suppression," he said.
The US President said he had asked his Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Bill Burns, to make several stops in Europe and the region to intensify US consultation with its allies and partners about the situation in Libya.
He also requested Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to travel to Geneva, where foreign ministers will meet for a session of the Human Rights Council.
Clinton will consult with her counterparts on the situation in Libya and the region to ensure that the US joins the international community to speak with one voice to the government and the people of Libya, Obama added.
He said in a volatile situation like the one in Libya, it was imperative that the nations of the world spoke with one voice.
Obama noted that the United Nations Security Council, European Union, Arab League, African Union, Organization of the Islamic Conference, and many individual nations had all echoed the same message, condemning the violence in Libya.
Obama stressed that the highest priority was to protect American citizens in Libya, adding that Americans had been urged to leave that country.
He said he had asked his administration to prepare the full range of options the US has to respond to the crisis.
The change taking place in Egypt, Tunisia and the region was being driven by the people of the region, Obama noted.
"This change doesn't represent the work of the United States or any foreign power. It represents the aspirations of people who are seeking a better life," he said.
