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Date: | Sat, 21 Aug 1999 01:51:03 -0400 |
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positive news development
I hope they succeed
Friday, August 20, 1999 Published at 14:09 GMT 15:09 UK
World: Africa
Gaddafi calls for United
States of Africa
Colonel Muammar Gaddafi: Vision for the future
Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi has called for
the creation of a United States of Africa and raised the
prospect of a single currency for the continent.
In an interview with the French newspaper, Le Figaro, he
said the time had come for African countries to "throw
away the rifle" and work for peace and development.
He said modern road, rail and air links had to be created
to link the countries of sub-Saharan Africa with those of
northern Africa.
"It is the interest of Europe, America, China and Japan
that there be an entity called the United States of Africa.
This is the historic solution for the continent."
He said Europe now wanted dealings with regional
groupings rather than individual countries.
His comments come ahead of an extraordinary summit
of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) next month
when heads of state are set to discuss revising the
body's charter.
The OAU summit also coincides with the 30th
anniversary of the toppling of the Libyan monarchy when
Colonel Gaddafi seized power.
Single currency
The Libyan leader, who is known for trying to unite Libya
with Arab countries, said: "Africa is my natural place ...
African Arabs are Africans and Arabs who live in Asia
are Asians."
He also proposed the setting-up of an African
Development Bank, and suggested that the continent
could eventually have its own single currency.
He added that the "time for wars was over", saying that
the scourge of African countries was that each one
wanted to have its own armed forces.
"An army is costly and has nothing to do but coups. As
for me, if a neighbouring state wants to invade Libya, I'll
scatter flowers on its way. Let it come to help me face
Libya's problems".
On relations with France, Colonel Gaddafi said they were
now good.
But he added the fact that Libya had paid compensation
for the bombing of a French airliner over Chad in 1989 did
not mean that Tripoli was responsible for the attack.
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