Libya is due to receive more than 40 of African leaders in the seaside city of Sirte Thursday to discuss a proposal by Libyan leader Muammar Kadhafi to establish an African union, said reports.
Two years ago, Kadhafi suggested the idea of a "United States of Africa, " but according to AFP, Kadhafi won only a lukewarm response then as his guests rejected his proposal to name the grouping the United States of Africa, preferring "African Union.”
The September 1999 meeting produced a Sirte Declaration setting out an entity with a parliament, central bank and court and requires ratification by two-thirds of the OAU's 53 member states.
So far, 44 member states have signed on, of which 21 have ratified. Another 15 states must ratify to complete the two-thirds needed for the African Union to take effect, and it would be declared a reality within 30 days, said the agency.
At the OAU's ordinary summit last July in Togo, Kadhafi, after arriving at the head of an impressive caravan of 200 vehicles, relaunched his initiative, but the matter was deferred to the upcoming summit.
According to Pan African news agency, the African leaders are returning to Sirte with renewed determination to give vent to the idea “whose time has come - that of African Union - as part of continuing efforts to cement continental unity and integration.
However, reports have said that Libyans are not so enthusiastic about their leader’s dream. In fact, clashes erupted last year between Libyans and African workers hosted by the country that claimed the lives of dozens – Albawaba.com
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