African summit opened in Sert today, postponing the idea of al- Qathafi to form a unified army
Regional-Libya, Politics, 2/27/2004

The special committee for the African Federation opened in Sert, Libya, today which seems to proceed towards the idea of postponing the proposal made by the Libyan leader to form one African army, but will discuss adoption of a joint defense policy.

Diplomats said that the African defense ministers who met in Sert to prepare for the special summit, put final touches on a document over the African security and defense policy, and an agreement of non aggression that will be adopted by presidents and prime ministers after introducing slight changes. The document says that civil wars and conflicts like the current wars in Burundi, democratic Congo and Sudan represent the main obstacle before development, and damage economics, and convert consumers and producers to refugees and evacuees and scare away out foreign investors.

The draft authorizes the African Federation, which takes Ethiopia as a headquarters, to issue an order to military interference or impose sanctions on a state member that launches a war against the African consensus, if a civil war erupts and a collective massacre takes place. The draft also calls for founding a commission similar to that of the UN Security Council that takes the decision over the military interference.

During the meetings of the African federation foreign ministers in Sert, an official in the African federation announced that the African ministers will recommend their presidents who will take part in the summit of the 53 states on Friday and Saturday to postpone the idea of Libya to form a united African army. The director in charge of peace and security in the African federation, Sam Ebuk, explained the idea of forming a united army "will have implications on the sovereignty of African states." He added that the ministers decided that instead of that to talk about joint defense and security policy in the continent.

Last Sunday, the Libyan leader renewed his call to form "a united African army that assumes the protection of Africa against any foreign aggression, and contributes to settling disputes inside the continent." He considered that the founding of the African army means the abrogation of the national armies and the limiting spending of money on such armies." He added "Now in Africa there are 1.25 million troops on which 13 billion dollars are spend annually." Meantime, an official source in Cairo announced that the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will take part in the African summit on top of a large delegation.

Libyan governmental sources said that the African leaders will discuss social, economic and development possibilities in Africa including issues on agriculture, water sharing, coordinating the exploitation of lakes and rivers and joint water basins.

Egypt pays great interests to the demands of certain countries which overlooks the Nile basin to reconsider the agreement of 1929 on sharing the waters of the this river which are classified as " strategic issues."

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