www.chinaview.cn 2004-02-27 20:14:30
SIRTE, Libya, Feb. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- More than 40 heads of state and government have gathered in the Libyan town of Sirte for an extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU), aiming to discuss security, water and agriculture policies for the continent. Delegates of the summit scheduled for Friday and Saturday, which is called and organized by Libyan leader Omar Muammar al-Qathafi, are expected to finalize a "peace and security protocol'' that would allow for an exchange of information and strategies to combat criminal activityand political instability on the continent. European Commission President Romano Prodi also attended the opening session on Friday. Qathafi urged Africans to unite if they want to be strong and influential in the world in his opening address, saying, "There should be no place for weakness so that force cannot be imposed onus.'' The only compensation for Africa for the past to is through African "efforts and sweat, blood and tears for the sake of liberating and uniting the continent and building its capabilities,'' he said. Africa is one of the most troubled regions in the world. Devastating local wars, including those in the Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote d'Ivoire and Liberia, fueled the idea of having some kind of mobile regional security force for peacekeeping missions in the region. Enditem
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-02/27/content_1335988.htm
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African summit to kick off in Libya
10:34:37 �.�
Sirte, Feb 27 - Heads of state and government from across Africa open talks on the thorny topics of water supplies, agriculture and the continent's defence policies in the Libyan town of Sirte on Friday morning.
The extraordinary summit of the African Union (AU), convened by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi, was due to open at 9:30 am (0730GMT).
A majority of the AU's 53 member states are expected to be represented by their presidents, including some of the continent's key players: Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria and Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal.
The first topics up for discussion are the challenges facing the continent with regard to water and agriculture.
Some 80 percent of Africans are small-scale farmers whose livelihoods depend on such unpredictable factors as rainfall, crop diseases and market prices for commodities whose production in rich countries is heavily subsidized.
Agricultural productivity in Africa is also greatly hampered by poor or non-existent credit facilities for farmers.
All these issues are raised in the AU's so-called Sirte declaration, which will be examined by the heads of state.
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http://www.iribnews.com/Full_en.asp?news_id=199349&n=32
Jackson visits Libya; U.S. lifts travel ban
He stresses engagement for region's stabilitySEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER NEWS SERVICESTRIPOLI, Libya -- Reviving U.S. diplomatic and economic ties with this oil-rich nation is key to regional stability, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said yesterday shortly before President Bush lifted a 23-year-old ban on U.S. travel to Libya.Jackson, who said his visit was approved by the U.S. State Department, described Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi as a "very influential force" in the Middle East and Africa."In many ways Libya is pivotal," Jackson said in the lobby of a Tripoli hotel. "Libya is somewhere in the gap between the Middle East and Africa and the U.S., so reconnecting, reviving this relationship is of great value in terms of diplomacy, stability in the region and trade."Jackson said he would meet Gadhafi and other African heads of state today at the annual African Union summit in Sirte, 250 miles west of Tripoli. The summit ends tomorrow.U.S.-Libyan relations have improved in recent weeks with Gadhafi's renouncement of terrorism and a pledge to give up Tripoli's quest for weapons of mass destruction.Yesterday Bush lifted the travel ban and invited U.S. companies to begin planning their return after Gadhafi's government acknowledged that it was responsible for the deadly bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988 over Lockerbie, Scotland.Jackson applauded the decision, calling it the "dawning of a new day in American-Libyan relations.""It is in American and Libyan interests to remove the weapons of fear and threat ... and to be transparent and allies in the war against terrorism," he said."This is a unique moment for bridge building."
Bush's action had been widely anticipated after Libya agreed in December to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Administration officials told Congress yesterday that 55,000 pounds of "sensitive Libyan equipment" had already been flown from Libya to Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.But Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said at a hearing yesterday on Libya that no money from the non-proliferation bill that bears his name, the Nunn-Lugar act, can be spent to retrain Libyan nuclear scientists, because the act prohibits aid to countries under sanctions."Well, our feeling is that we better lift those sanctions," he said.The law may also need to be expanded to operate beyond the former Soviet Union. Bush has said that he favors doing so, but he has not said how he would pay for the broader mission.The partial lifting of sanctions enables Libya, which produces about 1.4 million barrels of oil a day, to draw back U.S. oil companies. A number of U.S. firms, including Marathon Oil, Occidental Petroleum and ConocoPhillips, have already indicated interest in exploring new relationships with Libya.Some survivors of the bombing of Pan Am 103 have accused Bush of bending to oil interests by beginning to normalize relations with Libya.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/162331_libya27.html
TRIPOLI, Libya, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has urged African nations to make best use of their great natural wealth and deal with the West on an equal footing.Speaking at the opening session of a two-day summit for the African Union Organization in the Libyan city of Sirte Friday, Ghadhafi said: "Africa is taking serious and real steps toward unity through greater cooperation, stronger friendship and joint investments.""Africa should cooperate with industrial countries on an equal footing because it has great natural and human resources, which it should exploit to achieve prosperity for African peoples," he said.He said African nations suffered tremendously from colonialism and that "time has come to prove to the world that we are a nation of free peoples and not one of slaves as portrayed by colonialist powers over long decades."The summit was attended by 37 African heads of state and prime ministers, including President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Algeria's Abdel Aziz Boutefliqa.The parley will discuss economic and social development in the black continent as well as a joint defense treaty, security matters and a Libyan proposal to set up an African army.
http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040227-080446-5701r.htm
Thursday, February 26, 2004
African leaders arriving in Sirte for AU summit
Sirte, Libya (PANA) - African heads of State and government have
started arriving in Sirte, 450 km east here, to participate in
the African Union (AU) extraordinary summit that runs from 27-28
February, on the initiative of the Libyan Jamahiriya.
The summit will discuss issues related to water, agriculture,
defence and the creation of a common African army.
Already Presidents Isayas Afeworki of Eritrea, Ghana's John
Kufuor and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda as well as Lesotho Prime
Minister Bakalitha Mosisil arrived in Sirte Wednesday evening.
Shortly upon arrival, President Afeworki told reporters that the
summit was being held at a time fraught with events on the
continent.
He added that issues that on the agenda of the summit constitute
a step on the path to strengthening the AU and creating the
required institutions and systems to better develop the
continent.
Ghanaian President Kufuor opined that the summit would
consolidate the Union's structure, ensure security, fight against
poverty and contribute to the realisation of the development of
the African population.
Uganda's Museveni said he was pleased to be among friends in
Sirte to discuss important issues concerning the continent, while
Lesotho Prime Minister commended Colonel Moammar Kadhafi for his
efforts to realise the unity of the African continent and
establish peace, security and stability in all regions of Africa.
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's envoy Souleimane Hussein Al-
Herfi and American human rights activist Jesse Jackson have also
arrived in Sirte for the AU summit.
Copyright � 2004 PANA
Jana/7 Senegalese minister supports the Libyan proposalSirte / 25 Al Nowar / Jana The Senegalese Foreign Minister, Sheikh Tidian Gadio, has praised the proposal of the Great Jamahiriya in the second meeting of African ministers of defence and security related to the establishment of the single African army. He indicated that this proposal is in line with the constitution of his country which states the need to waiver the national sovereignty in favour of establishing African unity. Sheikh Tidian Gadio said in an interview with Pana that his country does not need any referendum to amend the constitution in order to join the contributions to boast the African Union. The Senegalese Minister indicated that most African ministers agree to this proposal and there is no African country that believes that the presence of an African army is a waste of money or does not help in solving African defense problems. /Jamahiriya News Agency/
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Jana/8 African foreign ministers converge on the Great JamahiriyaTripoli / 25 Al Nowar/ Jana The following African foreign ministers arrived in Tripoli International Airport last night to participate in the fourth Extraordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union and to prepare for the Extraordinary African Union Summit to be held in the Great Jamahiriya later this month: The Moroccan Foreign Minister Saharawi Republic Foreign Minister Angolean Foreign Minister RwandanForeign Minister Burundian Foreign Minister Ghanian Foreign Minister Ethiopian Foreign Minister Mozembiquean Foreign Minister The Foreign Ministers from the following countriers, arrived at Sirte International Airport: Comoros, Cameroon, Equitorial Guinea, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Chad, Eritrea, Liberia, Botswana, Togo, Sudan and Somalia. /Jamahiriya News Agency /
Jana/1 African leaders and presidents converge on Sirte
Sirte / 26 Al Nowar / Jana African leaders and presidents have started converging on the Great Jamahiriya to participate in the African Union extraordinery summit, called for by the Leader of the Revolution, to study the prospects of economic and social development as well as joint defence. President Assiase Afowrki of Eritrea, member of the council of the community of the Sahel Saharn States and an accompanying delegation, have arrived in Sirte International Airport last night. A grand popular reception was organised at the airport to welcome the Eritrean president. The welcoming party was headed by General Abu Bakr Younes Jaber. President John Kuffor of Ghana and an accompanying delegation arrived as well in Sirte International Airport last night. The Ghanian president was received in a grand reception . The welcoming party was headed by General Abu Bakr Younes Jaber. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of Lesotho, Bakimilta Moussed and an accompanying delegation arrived in Sirte International Airport last night. He was recived by the Secretary of the General Peoples Committee. The Ugnadnan President Youre Mousseveni also arrived in Sirte International Airport last night. A grand welcoming ceremony was organised at the airport to welcome President Mousseveni. The wel coming party was headed by General Abu Bakr Younes Jaber. / Jamahiriya news agency /
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Jana/2 Rev. Jesse Jackson arrives
Tripoli / 26 al Nowar / Jana Rev. Jesse Jackson the American human rights activists, arrived in Tripoli Internationa Airport last night, accompanied with a delegation, to attend the African Union extraordinery summit being held in the Great Jamahiriya. He was received at the airport by the Director of the Americas Administration at the General Peoples Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Co-operation. He was also welcomed by a delegate from the International Islamic Call Society. Rev. Jackson made a statement upon his arrival and praised the brave step taken by the Great Jamahiriya by its own free will, to abandon all programmes and equipment that may lead to the production of internationally banned weapons. Rev Jackson also praised the efforts being made by the Leader of the Revolution and his vital role in achieving African Unity. / Jamahiriya news agency /
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Jana/3 Egyptian and Tunisian foreign ministers arrive
Sirte / 26 Al Nowar / Jana The Tunisian Foreign Minister Al Habib ben Yahia and the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher, accompanied by two delegations, have arrived in the Sirte International Airport last night, to participate in the fourth executive session of the African Union. They were received at the airport by the coordinator of the social peoples leadership in Sirte shabiya, the Secretary of the shabiya peoples congress, the general delegate of Tunisia and the head of the Egyptian relations bureau in the Great Jamahiriya. / Jamahiriya news agency /
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Jana/4 Delegations arrive
Tripoli / 26 Al Nowar /Jana The Foreign Minister of Congo Brazzaville, Adolf Adada and Salman Mohamed Hussein al Harfi the personal envoy of the Palestinian chairman Yasser Arafat, accompanied by delegations, have arrived in Sirte International Airport last night, on avisit to the Great Jamahiriya and to participate in the African Union extraordinery summit being held in the Great Jamahiriya. They were received at the airport by the deputy Director of the African Administration at the General Peoples Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation . /Jamahiriya news agency /
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Jana/5 Congolese energy minister arrives
Tripoli / 26 Al Nowar / Jana The energy minister in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kalima Lozofa and an accompanying delegation , arrived in Sirte International airport last night, on a visit to the Great Jamahiriya. / Jamahiriya news agency /
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Jana/6 African defence ministers leave
Tripoli / 26 Al Nowar / Jana The following African defence minister left from Sirte International Airport last night at the end of their visit to the Great Jamahiriya. Mahaman Khalil Miga the Malian defence minister and Abu Bakr Jana the General Commander of the Gambian army. During their visit to the great jamahiria they took partin the second meeting of African defence ministers held recently in the Great Jamahiriya. They were farewelled at the airport by armed peoples officers. / Jamahiriya news agency /
http://www.caricom.org/pressreleases/pres15_04.htm
Press release 15/2004
(9 February 2004)
STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY ON THE SITUATION IN HAITI
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has been following with deep concern the reports out of Haiti that armed groups opposing the continued presidency of Mr. Jean Bertrand Aristide have taken control of several towns including Gona�ves and St Marc. The accompanying violence has caused the death of a number of persons including policemen.
The Caribbean Community condemns these latest incidents of lawlessness and violence which once again emphasise the urgent need for a peaceful solution to the continued political impasse in Haiti. In this regard the Community, at the highest level, has taken an initiative based on a Prior Action Plan which is aimed at restoring confidence between contending groups and initiating a process of d�tente which would facilitate dialogue. This Plan has been accepted by President Aristide. The proposed measures have also been brought to the attention of the political opposition and of civil society as progress will require action by all sides. For all parties have interests but also have clear responsibilities.
We are insisting on a protection of fundamental rights and civil freedoms, the Caribbean Community cannot condone disorder and anarchy. The Caribbean Community calls on all groups in Haiti which have the peace and welfare of their country and of its people at heart to accept the urgent need for dialogue and to refrain from action which will result in an escalation of violence, leading eventually to a state of anarchy.
Kingston, Jamaica
9 February, 2004
