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Summit focuses on African unity Summit debates future of Africa
(about 2 hours later)
The African Union summit enters its second day in Accra, Ghana, focusing on the idea of a pan-African government. African Union leaders are to discuss the idea of a pan-African government, on the second day of their summit.
Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is championing the idea, but many African leaders do not support his initiative. Libya's Colonel Muammar Gaddafi is championing the idea, but many African leaders in Accra, Ghana, are wary.
Some leaders fear the issue will push the crises in Zimbabwe, Somalia and Darfur off the agenda. Some of the 50 leaders there fear the issue will push the crises in Zimbabwe, Somalia and Darfur off the agenda.
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. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said unity was vital to make the continent truly independent of the West, as he spoke to a crowd of cheering Ghanaians.
"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. "Until and unless we put our act together, and look at our resources, organise and start pooling our resources together, and we have lots of them, we will never, ever prosper from any aid from any source outside Africa," President Mugabe said on Sunday in a speech at the tomb of Ghana's first president.
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.
Timing
Ghana's President John Kufuor said in his opening speech to the conference that the question of unifying Africa was not in doubt, but the key issue was how to attain it.
HAVE YOUR SAY I want to buy the idea of having a United States of Africa but let's first of all try to resolve the issue in Sudan and Zimbabwe Lucien Momoh, Freetown Send us your commentsHAVE YOUR SAY I want to buy the idea of having a United States of Africa but let's first of all try to resolve the issue in Sudan and Zimbabwe Lucien Momoh, Freetown Send us your comments
But some leaders believe that by putting so much energy into the unity debate, urgent issues are being neglected. "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.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner, Desmond Tutu, has put his name to a petition calling for the presidents to focus their attention on the conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur. African Union Commission head Alpha Oumar Konare told the gathering that Africans needed to "take the bull by the horns and move towards a new country - Africa".
But campaigners on the sidelines of the summit, say delivery is the key problem, with leaders already having shown they are unwilling to give up power to regional economic blocs.
"We have regional economy communities that were put in place for West Africa... but nothing is working. From one country to another... there are still a lot of obstacles," a campaigner for the organisation Call To Action Against Poverty told the BBC.
Issues ignored
Some leaders believe that by putting so much energy into the unity debate, urgent issues are being neglected.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu has put his name to a petition calling for the presidents to focus their attention on the conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur.
My vision is to wake up the African leaders to unify our continent Muammar al-Gaddafi Reporter's diary
The petition says African heads of state have a decision to make - be weak and turn away while innocent people suffer, or be strong and take responsibility for protecting them.The petition says African heads of state have a decision to make - be weak and turn away while innocent people suffer, or be strong and take responsibility for protecting them.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is missing the summit following the death of a close aide in a car crash,Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir is missing the summit following the death of a close aide in a car crash,
His absence will not help change the minds of those who doubt all the African leaders are willing to work closely together, let alone form a united government, reports the BBC's Will Ross in Accra.His absence will not help change the minds of those who doubt all the African leaders are willing to work closely together, let alone form a united government, reports the BBC's Will Ross in Accra.
Financial controversy
On the eve of the three-day summit, foreign ministers heard critical reports on the way the AU handles money.
Col 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.
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.
"For Africa, the matter is to be or not to be," President Gaddafi told students at the University of Ghana on Saturday."For Africa, the matter is to be or not to be," President Gaddafi told students at the University of Ghana on Saturday.
"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.