Al-Qathafi: we have no interests in the Middle East

Libya's Leader Muammar al-Qathafi said that the call for a Greater Middle East initiative is "a racist call aims at making a difference between the Arabs and non- Arab Africans. It is an old colonialist call we have destroyed by the establishment of the African federation."

In an interview with the Libyan news agency JANA and All African news Agency BANA, al-Qathafi said " we in the Arab Maghreb have no interest in the Middle East and its problems," noting that the Middle East region differs in everything from Africa and we do not accept the partition of the African continent, we do not accept nor decide to join the Middle East."

He said that the Arab Maghreb federation which is chaired by Libya has no connection to the Middle East as it is separated from it geographically by Egypt, the Red Sea, the Suez Canal, Sinai and the Gulf of al-Aqaba." He continued " The Maghreb, for instance is closer to Europe rather than to the Middle East." He said " the Middle East itself, nobody can identify its location.. whatsoever, it is in the east and we are in the west."