From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Mon Feb 02 2009 - 08:55:15 EST
Ethiopia: Gaddafi is new AU chairman Posted on Monday 2 February 2009 -
11:32
Andualem Sisay, AfricaNews reporter in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has been elected as the new chairman of the
53-nation African Union. He was elected by delegates at the AU summit in
Ethiopia on Monday. He was widely tipped to get the node but some members of
the union were said to have expressed their misgivings about his nomination.
The 12th Au heads of states summit kicked off in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
prioritizing the issue of forming the Union Government of Africa.
Leaders of more than 40 African countries including the new Somali's
Transitional Government President, Sheikh Sharif Ahmed convene for three
days on major African issues with a theme, "infrastructure development in
Africa".
Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, the moderate Islamist leader won the presidency in an
all-night parliament session in neighboring Djibouti at the end of January,
2009 and vowed to end conflict in the Horn of Africa nation, make peace with
neighbors and rule with honesty and justice.
During the first day of meeting the leaders were expected to deal
conclusively with the discussion regarding the formation of the Union
Government of Africa. It was expected to give birth to a Federal government
for Africa after more than half-a century of debate.
"This is an ordinary summit and a certain number of critical issues would be
dealt with and concluded at this summit," told media African Union
Commission President Jean Ping. "The want to deal with the issue the Union
Government during this summit," he said.
African leaders have been discussing the formation of a Union Government of
Africa for the past half a century. The founders of the Pan African debate
set the ambitious goals of uniting the continent and sharing its wealth in a
way that is beneficial to the continents citizenry.
So far, at least 20 African states have endorsed the creation of the Union
Government of Africa. There are some eight African states which support the
idea in principle but prefer a gradual movement.
Libya, the main state behind the Union Government, says any 'gradualist'
idea towards the unity of Africa was too slow.
But, the states most Southern African region, which want the gradual
formation of the Union Government, say neither the proposers nor the
opposers of the idea would get what they want.
African diplomats have disclosed that a breakthrough has been reached on the
emotive issue of setting up this Union Government of Africa, but major
problems still remain on how to make it operational.
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