VOA标准英语2011--Libya Conference Opens With Call for Cea

（单词翻译）

African Union Commission Chairman Jean Ping has opened an international conference on Libya with a call for an immediate¹ end to hostilities³ and dialogue between the Gadhafi government and rebels. But a hoped-for appearance by a Libyan rebel representative failed to materialize.
The meeting brings together the main players in effort to prevent hostilities in Libya from descending⁴ into full-scale civil war.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was represented, as were as all permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, Libya's North African neighbors, along with partners in the coalition⁵ imposing⁶ the no-fly zone. Moammar Gadhafi sent a five-member delegation⁷ led by the speaker of the People's Congress.
The main disappointment was the absence of the anti-Gadhafi rebels. A senior African diplomat⁸ who could not be identified under briefing rules said a rebel representative had refused to take part in talks unless Gadhafi's ouster was a pre-condition.
The Addis Ababa meeting was convened⁹ partly to allow the African Union to take the lead in settling the Libyan crisis. A western diplomat deeply involved in the negotiations¹⁰ privately¹¹ lamented¹² what he called "Africa's tragic¹³ absence at the table" in recent negotiations in Paris and elsewhere.
Conflicted stance
Reuters
Destroyed military vehicles are seen at a naval¹⁴ military facility after last night's coalition air strikes in People's Port in eastern Tripoli, March 22, 2011
The African Union's conflicted stance on Libya was illustrated¹⁵ this month when the continental¹⁶ body avoided endorsing¹⁷ a no-fly zone, even as all three African members of the U.N. Security Council voted for it.
AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping opened Friday's session with a call for moving from the military to the political track. He called for urgent talks between the Gadhafi government and rebels aimed at establishing a democratic government.
He said the solution lies in a dialogue on political reforms that would eliminate the causes of conflict that are tearing the country apart.
Cease-fire
Ping called on the international community to settle its differences and work together to reach a consensus¹⁸ on a lasting¹⁹ solution to Libya's turmoil²⁰. He said the first step, however, is a cease-fire.
He said urgent African action must involve an immediate cessation of hostilities, allowing humanitarian²¹ agencies to help civilians²² in desperate need, protecting foreign nationals, and attacking the root causes of the crisis.
The African Union earlier appointed a panel comprising five heads of states and Chairman Ping to try to mediate² between the Gadhafi government and the rebels. The panel had planned to visit Tripoli and Benghazi early in the week, but was denied permission after the no-fly zone was imposed and air strikes began.
The panel is still active, however, and AU diplomats²³ say the influence of its members could be useful in negotiations with the mercurial²⁴ Mr. Gadhafi.