04 Sep 2009
The eccentric Libyan leader, Muammar Qaddafi, will ask the United Nations to split Switzerland up among the Alpine country's neighboring states -- France, Germany and Italy.

As open wounds keep the two sides from reconciliation, Qaddafi wants to propose Switzerland's disintegration The Telegraph reported on Friday.

"Switzerland is a world mafia, not a state," he said.

The 67-year-old president is to come up with the proposal when his country takes over presidency of the UN General Assembly later this month.

The motion, however, contradicts with the UN principle of respect for territorial integrity.

Tripoli and Bern fell out last year when Swiss officials accused Qaddafi's son, Hannibal and his wife of assaulting the servants at a Geneva hotel. The issue was set to grow into a legal battle but the complainants withdrew their claims saying they had been compensated.

Libya subsequently expelled the Swiss diplomats in the country and suspended visas for Swiss citizens. Two Swiss businessmen have also been detained for apparently violating the ban.

Last month, Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz appeared in person in Tripoli and offered his apologies. Merz has been pressured to resign after the move which has been denounced in Switzerland as a sign of weakness.

The two sides are to task a bilateral panel with investigating the differences over last year's arrest.

presstv