The Security Council's sanctions include an asset freeze on Colonel Gaddafi and his four sons and one daughter, and a travel ban on the entire family along with ten other close associates,
reports USA Today.
Council members also agreed unanimously to refer the Gaddafi regime's deadly crackdown on anti-government protesters to the International Criminal Court in The Hague for an investigation into possible crimes against humanity.
After the vote, US Ambassador
Susan Rice stated the Security Council acted to support the Libyan peoples' universal rights and to send the message to the Libyan government that “those who slaughter civilians will be held personally accountable.”
What was not under consideration by the Security Council Saturday was the possibility of imposing a no-fly zone over Libya or planning any sort of UN sanctioned military action. NATO also has ruled out any intervention in Libya,
reports the Canadian Press.
The US and Australia had already
placed sanctions on Libya prior to the UN announcement. Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, announced travel and financial sanctions against Moammar Gaddafi and key members of his regime on Saturday. Rudd also urged the Security Council to impose similar sanctions. On Friday, the US froze the assets of Gaddafi, four of his children, and the Libyan government held in the US.
The UN estimates that 1,000 people have been killed since anti-government protests began in Libya Feb 15.
Leading up to Saturday's resolution, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the Security Council to take immediate actions to halt the violence.
"In these circumstances, the loss of time means more loss of lives,"
Ban Ki-moon told the council on Friday.
Libyan Ambassador Mohamed Shalgam made a similar appeal to the Council Friday, saying “I hope within hours, not days, that they can do something tangible” to stop the violence in Libya.
