Thursday, 1 March, 2001: African leaders have begun arriving at the Libyan town of Sirte for a summit which will discuss proposals for an African Union. Forty-four African countries which belong to the Organisation of African Unity have expressed their support for such a union, although it would have to be ratified by two-thirds of member states before it could become a reality. The summit is being organised by the Libyan leader, Colonel Qadhafi, who earlier this week helped to pay off the arrears of ten OAU states so that they could take part. [BBC] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Thursday, 1 March, 2001: Some 20 African Heads of State and government had arrived in the Libyan city of Sirte by late Wednesday ahead of Thursday's opening of the OAU's fifth Extra- Ordinary Summit on the African Union. OAU Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim told PANA that more than 40 leaders were expected at the Summit. By the last count, some 46 of the Organisation's 53 member- states had signed the Union's Constitutive Act, while more than 22 had ratified it, according to OAU officials. [PANA] _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
