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AU summit focuses on government AU summit focuses on government
(about 5 hours later)
The African Union summit has opened in Accra, Ghana, focusing this year on the idea of a pan-African government.The African Union summit has opened in Accra, Ghana, focusing this year on the idea of a pan-African government.
Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is championing the idea, but correspondents say many African leaders do not support his initiative. Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is championing the idea, but many African leaders do not support his initiative.
There are fears the issue will push the crises in Zimbabwe, Somalia and Darfur off the agenda. Some critics fear the issue will push the crises in Zimbabwe, Somalia and Darfur off the agenda.
Foreign ministers meeting on the eve of the summit heard critical reports on the way the AU handles money. Ghana's President John Kufuor said in his opening speech that the question of unifying Africa was not in doubt, but the key issue was how to attain it.
A report by the international auditing firm Ernst and Young found that the African Union could not account for almost $3m it spent on a conference for African intellectuals. "I am confident that at the end of our deliberations, we should be able to arrive at a common understanding on the sort of continental government we want for ourselves, and a roadmap with timelines on its realisation," he said.
On the eve of the three-day summit, foreign ministers heard critical reports on the way the AU handles money.
Gaddafi hopes to get AU backing for his grand ideaA report by the international auditing firm Ernst and Young found that the African Union could not account for almost $3m it spent on a conference for African intellectuals.
The firm also said the AU could not verify how much it paid members of the Pan-African Parliament, an AU body.The firm also said the AU could not verify how much it paid members of the Pan-African Parliament, an AU body.
Another report, by AU financial experts, showed that only seven of the 53 member states were up-to-date with their payments to the AU.Another report, by AU financial experts, showed that only seven of the 53 member states were up-to-date with their payments to the AU.
This summit is the ninth since the AU was created five years ago.This summit is the ninth since the AU was created five years ago.
'Soldier for Africa' "For Africa, the matter is to be or not to be," President Gaddafi told students at the University of Ghana on Saturday.
Gaddafi hopes to get AU backing for his grand idea"For Africa, the matter is to be or not to be," President Gaddafi told students at the University of Ghana on the eve of the summit.
"My vision is to wake up the African leaders to unify our continent," he said, describing himself as a "soldier for Africa"."My vision is to wake up the African leaders to unify our continent," he said, describing himself as a "soldier for Africa".
The idea of a single pan-African government was first promoted by Kwame Nkrumah, who led Ghana to independence in 1957, and the Libyan leader has long been an enthusiastic proponent of the idea.The idea of a single pan-African government was first promoted by Kwame Nkrumah, who led Ghana to independence in 1957, and the Libyan leader has long been an enthusiastic proponent of the idea.
President Gaddafi arrived in Ghana after a week-long tour of West Africa, during he visited Mali, Guinea, Ivory Coast and Liberia.