Ghaddafi tells African Union Summit :
Resolve African conflicts by self
EGYPT: Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi told a special summit of the
African Union (AU) that African countries should face regional
challenges and resolve the conflicts plaguing the African continent by
themselves.
In his opening speech, Ghaddafi stressed the importance of solving
the conflicts facing Africa as they threaten the peace and security of
the whole world.
He said, “We should find solutions to conflicts among the African
brothers and move forward to stop the superpowers pillaging Africa’s
resources,” according to Libya’s official Jamahiriya News Agency.
The Libyan leader said Israel stands behind all of Africa’s
conflicts, calling for expelling Israeli embassies out of African
countries because Israel seeks to stir up sedition as a pretext to
protect minorities.
Ghaddafi held Israel responsible for fueling the conflict in Darfur,
saying that Israel’s hosting to an office of Sudan Liberation movement
of Abdelwahid Mohammed Nur is a proof.
He also expressed his regret that France hosts Abdelwahid Mohammed
Nur while claiming its commitment to world peace and security.
Touching on Sudan, Ghaddafi, the current chairman of the 53- nation
bloc, said the Darfur crisis can be solved by Sudanese hands, noting hat
international interference deepened Darfur crisis.
The Libyan leader described the relations between Sudan and Chad as a
reflection to the internal conflict that the two nations suffer due to
the increasing of rebel groups in the two nations.
Meanwhile, he called on leaders and governments of Africa not to give
any value to the national borders, saying that the borders created by
occupation would disappear to give away to one African space, one common
market, one currency, one central bank, one defensive power, one
interior security and one identity.
He said this is happening not just in Africa, but the entire world is
turning into bigger entities with full potential of competing with each
other in a way that the national state no longer able to do.
Ghaddafi stressed the need for Africa both current and future
generations that there are no African conflicts and wars especially now
that the continent is heading towards establishing the United States of
Africa. The AU kicked off the special summit in Libya earlier in the day
to tackle regional conflicts, especially situations in Somalia, Sudan’s
Darfur and the Great Lakes region.
About 30 African leaders attended the special summit, which is held
on the eve of celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Libyan
Revolution, which brought Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi to power after
overthrowing Western-backed King Idriss on Sept. 1, 1969.
It is AU’s third summit this year. The 53-member organization
normally holds two summits a year.
At its 13th summit held in Libya’s Sirte city in July, the AU
accepted its current chairman Ghaddafi’s proposal to hold a special
session on the consideration and resolution of conflicts in Africa.
The AU, established in 2002 to replace the Organization of African
Unity that was founded in 1963, aims at preserving and promoting peace
and stability in the African continent, carrying out the strategy of
reform and poverty reduction and realizing the development and renewal
of Africa.
Cairo, Tuesday, Xinhua
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