Door closes on Libya’s membership in African union

Al Bawaba, the Middle East Gateway ^ | November 8 2002

[knighthawk]

In a bid to protect its financing, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) has denied Libya a seat on its committee. Accused of supporting terrorism, the nation has been refused by NEPAD due to concern over alienating potential western investors, reported Reuters.

NEPAD has agreed to practice democracy and good governance across the continent in return for billions of dollars of private Western financing. It has full support from the G8 group of industrial nations.

Libya recently strengthened its campaign to join the group, whose members include Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal and Algeria. However, African diplomats fear that Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s reputation in the West of being a benefactor of terrorist groups was not in the continent’s best interests.

Kadhafi began focusing on relations with non-Arab African states in the late 80’s after he accused his fellow Arab League members of a “defeatist” attitude toward United Nations (UN) sanctions imposed on Tripoli over the 1988 Lockerbie plane bombing.

The idea of an African Union was first suggested by Kadhafi at the 35th Organization of African Unity (OAU) Algiers summit in 1999. He pushed through the Sirte declaration later that year, calling for the establishment of the African Union, which later led to the establishment of the African Economic Community (AEC).

Kadhafi assumed the leadership role in the newly formed African Union, a position he believed had been denied to him in the Arab League. Critics have said that one of his main purposes for pushing forward African Unity is his desire to be named the continent’s first president.

[knighthawk]

Ping

[facedown]

However, African diplomats fear that Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi’s reputation in the West of being a benefactor of terrorist groups was not in the continent’s best interests.

Shrewd.