A growing chorus of African leaders are loudly voicing opposition to the U.S.-led bombing campaign against Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi,

A growing chorus of African leaders are loudly voicing opposition to the U.S.-led bombing campaign against Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi, allegedly aimed at disabling his air force but also, as President Obama has said, “to tell Mr. Gaddafi he has to go.”

“We condemn the obvious double standards and hypocrisy of the West in ignoring the ravaging bloodshed and abuse of human rights in Yemen, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia,” said Dr. Koku Adomdza, President of the Council for Afrika International, a U.K.-based think tank.

“We urge proactive diplomatic and mediatory intervention and condemn foreign military intervention, since the latter will only escalate violence.”

In Nigeria’s capital city of Abuja, Foreign Affairs Minister Odein Ajumogobia expressed reservations at what he described as the 'complexities and contradictions of international foreign policy'.

'The international community imposed a no-fly zone in Libya, seemingly to protect civilians, yet the same international community watches as women are killed in Cote d'Ivoire,' he said.

In South Africa, President Jacob Zuma called for an immediate cease-fire and said his government would not support any foreign effort to overthrow the government of Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi, which has been battling an eastern-based insurgency for the past month.

"We say no to the killing of civilians, no to the regime-change doctrine and no to the foreign occupation of Libya or any other sovereign state," Zuma said.

Zuma is part of a special committee appointed by the African Union to mediate the Libya conflict.  The Union has also criticized the multinational coalition attacks on Libyan anti-aircraft and communications installations in which several dozen civilians were reportedly killed.

Other leaders speaking out against the bombing strikes include Namibia’s President Hifikepunye Pohamba, the presidents of Zimbabwe and Uganda.

Dr. Jesse Jackson, during a visit to Trinity College Historical Society in Dublin, concurred with the African heads of state.

"Something had to happen to stop the genocidal march,” he said. “On the other hand, the U.N.'s resolution was about containment and cessation not about aggression.  It was not a resolution to wipe out Gaddafi but a humanitarian mission to save the victims of genocide.”