We can build United States of Africa, Gaddafi says

Wednesday July, 28, 2010

The dream of a United States of Africa, which Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been promoting seems to be alive still, even if only in the chief propagator’s mind. Gaddafi said on Tuesday that this week's African Union summit was another step towards that objective.

Though Gaddafi has stressed constantly that the only way Africa can develop without interference from the west was to form a unity government, most African states fear that the idea, thought wildly thought to be impracticable, would encroach on their sovereignty.

The international arrest warrant for Sudan’s president and the conflict in Somalia effectively relegated discussions on steps towards creating an African government to the background.

"I am satisfied that Africa is going along its historic and right road, one day it will become similar to the United States of America." Gaddafi said.

"We are approaching the formation of the African Authority, and each time we solve African problems and also move in the direction of peace and unity. We deal with problems step by step. We are continuing to do that," Gaddafi said.

Gaddafi had used his position as the African Union's chairman last year to push for the organisation's small executive body to be granted enhanced powers and remodelled as the African Authority.

Answering questions about that proposal on Tuesday, Gaddafi said: "Studies are still continuing and it is not finished yet. Experts and the people responsible are still studying the documents. They might be completed at the next summit or after."

Though Gaddafi’s idea garnered some form of sympathetic response in some states, some African leaders say they cannot be expected to cede sovereignty to any African bloc just decades after they wrested it away from their colonial rulers.

Gaddafi is seen in parts of the continent as a champion of the developed world and spends millions of dollars in aid in Africa.