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| Kadhafi seeks 'Marshall plan' for Africa
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L'Aquila, Italy (PANA) -
African Union (AU) Chairman and Libyan revolutionary le
ader Mouammar Kadhafi has called for
a funding programme for Africa comparable to the US Marshall Plan for rebuilding
Western Europe after World War II.
Addressing the G8 group of industrialised nations during its recently-concluded
summit in L'Aquila, Italy, he said Africa needed
massive foreign investments to enable it to exploit its huge natural resources,
adding that the good intentions and pledges of aid
made by the previous G8 meetings have yet to yield results.
"We have projects that need investments and which are likely to meet the contine
nt's needs, such as the Inga dam in Congo,
Lake Chad and the Nile Delta,” the Libyan leader said during a session of the su
mmit devoted to Africa.
He also stressed the need for those willing to help Africa to do so without impo
sing conditions, like forcing African nations to
imbibe the Western political model.
"Africa, through its social structures, adapts to a natural social system which
Western countries, after decades of colonisation and
slavery, find difficult to understand," he said, adding that democracy is all ab
out the people being in power. He cited the Libyan example
of “direct people's democracy” where, he said, each man and woman exercises powe
r.
The Libyan leader urged the G8 leaders to invite poor countries like Malawi, Bur
kina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Niger, Burundi and
Djibouti to the next G8 summit, instead of making it an exclusive club of rich n
ations as well as producers of oil and gas.
President Kadhafi also briefed the G8 leaders on the decisions of the recent AU
summit in Sirte, Libya, especially the transformation of the
AU Commission into an Authority of the Union.
Under the AU Authority, he said, there will be a coordinator of African foreign
policy so that, from now on, Africa would speak with one voice
He also talked of the defence council which, within the context of the Authority
, would be chaired by a defence coordinator who will liaise with
other military commands around the world, as well as a coordinator for external
trade, who will negotiate on behalf of the continent at such fora as
World Trade Organization and other international institutions.
The AU chairman also reiterated Africa's right to have a permanent seat at the U
nited Nations Security Council, with all the privileges attached to
it, so as to preserve international balance and world peace.
He urged the permanent members of the Security Council present at the G8 meeting
not to oppose the proposal when it comes up at the UN
General Assembly.
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| L'Aquila - 13/07/2009 |
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