Above: President Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya, right, during
a meeting of the African Union on Monday in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia. (Antony Njuguna/Reuters)
NYT
By LYDIA POLGREEN
Published: February 2, 2009
DAKAR, Senegal — President Muammar el-Qaddafi of Libya was named chairman of the African Union on Monday, wresting control of a body he helped found and has long wanted to remake in his pan-African image.
His installation as the new head of the 53-member body resembled more of a coronation than a democratic transfer of power. Colonel Qaddafi was dressed in flowing gold robes and surrounded by traditional African leaders who hailed him as the “king of kings.”
The choice of Colonel Qaddafi was not a surprise — he was the leading candidate — but the prospect of his election to lead the African Union caused some unease among some of the group’s member nations, who were meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as well as among diplomats and analysts. Colonel Qaddafi, who has ruled Libya with an iron hand for decades, is a stark change from the succession of recent leaders from democratic countries like Tanzania, Ghana and Nigeria. Read more.
This is awful news. Just as the US starts to move in a positive direction, the AU seems to be taking a turn for the worse. Let’s hope that his influence is minimized.
This is one of the biggest tragedies that has hit Africa in hundreds of years. Muammar el-Qaddafi is one of Africa’s greatest enemies. He tried to have the headquarters of the OAU removed from Ethiopia claiming that slavery existed in Ethiopia, thus, Ethiopia is unfit to be site of the headquarter. Every single one of his actions must be monitored very closely.
If only everyone has the same love for Africa as Qaddafi.
Didn’t this guy fuel conflicts all over the African continent using his petro-dollars?