‘WORLD MUST SPEAK AS ONE ON LIBYA’

UN chief Ban Ki-moon told the Arab League Monday the world must speak as one on Libya after it criticised coalition air strikes but was then mobbed by Moamer Qadhafi loyalists in the square outside.

Ban delivered his message at the League's Cairo headquarters standing alongside its secretary general Amr Mussa, who said his comments Sunday that the strikes exceeded the UN Security Council mandate had been "misinterpreted".

"It is important that the international community speak with one voice to implement the second council resolution," the UN chief said, referring to Resolution 1973 which was passed on Thursday and authorised military action to prevent Qadhafi's forces from attacking civilians.

Ban told reporters that "strong and decisive measures" had only been possible because of the support given by the Arab League on March 12 for a UN-imposed no-fly zone over Libya.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had said as much last Wednesday when she visited Cairo the day before the Security Council adopted the resolution, describing the Arab League's support as a "turning point" in helping to muster the necessary votes.

"I think many countries that had a negative view about taking any action began to reconsider that following the Arab League statement," she said.

But despite that statement, the League chief said on Sunday that the strikes launched by the international coalition exceeded the bounds set by Resolution 1973.

"What has happened in Libya differs from the goal of imposing a no-fly zone and what we want is the protection of civilians and not bombing other civilians," Mussa told reporters.

"From the start we requested only that a no-fly zone be set up to protect Libyan civilians and avert any other developments or additional measures," he added.

On Monday, he changed his tune.

"We are commmitted to the UNSC Resolution 1973, we have no objection to this decision, particularly as it does not call for an invasion of Libyan territory," the League chief said.

"We are working in coordination with the United Nations to protect the civilians in Libya," he added.

Mussa said his earlier comments had been motivated by concerns about civilians being caught up in the coalition strikes, as Arab governments did not want to see more deaths in Libya.

As the UN chief left the Arab League's headquarters after the meeting, he and his 15-strong delegation, which included former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, the head of UN Women, were mobbed by around 50 pro-Qadhafi demonstrators in the square outside.

Chanting "Down, Down USA, Libya, Libya," and carrying the green flag of Qadhafi's regime, the protesters surged towards the UN delegation, forcing them to beat a hasty retreat back into the building as police and troops intervened.

The UN chief had been seeking to follow in the footsteps of a string of international visitors to Cairo in touring Tahrir Square, the focus of mass protests that forced president Hosni Mubarak from power last month.

Ban was unhurt after the incident, the AFP correspondent said.

On Sunday, Qadhafi loyalists accompanied by two regime envoys attempted to occupy the rebel-controlled mission to the Arab League but were evicted by troops, who closed down the mission, pro-opposition diplomats who were inside at the time told AFP.

Shortly afterwards, Ban's motorcade was caught up in a second protest on Tahrir Square, this time by hundreds of Egyptians demonstrating outside the former foreign ministry for jobs, housing and a better life.

There were ugly scenes as police and troops forced back the crowd to enable the convoy to pass and take a detour through adjacent side streets to get the UN chief to a meeting with Prime Minister Essam Sharaf, the AFP correspondent said.