Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was elected chairman of the African Union on Monday and made clear he would pursue his vision of a United States of Africa despite reluctance from many members. Resplendent in golden robes and cap Gaddafi accepted a gavel from the outgoing chairman, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, at a summit in Ethiopia. He told fellow summit leaders that his project to create a united continental government would be approved at the next meeting in July unless there was a majority against it. Under AU rules, the post rotates among Africa's regions, and this year was set to go to a North African leader. Gaddafi was the only one present. But southern African leaders had lobbied for a leader from their region, as the next summit moves to crisis-hit Madagascar, according to delegates to the summit. His election was treated almost like a coronation by a group of 30 customary African leaders dressed in colorful robes who accompanied him to the conference hall at his invitation. “On behalf of the traditional kings, on behalf of all the sultans, on behalf of all the princes, on behalf of all the customary rulers, I want to say thank you to (Gaddafi) who we have now crowned,” their unidentified leader said. The group attended a conference sponsored by Gaddafi in Libya last September. Gaddafi, has been pushing for a unity government for years, saying it is the only way to meet the challenges of globalization, fighting poverty and resolving conflicts without Western interference. The summit, which ends today has been overshadowed by political unrest in Madagascar, torn apart in a power struggle that has killed 68 people so far. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the summit he was “particularly concerned” about the crisis, and urged that all parties “address their differences peacefully and through existing constitutional mechanisms.” Ban also called on Sudan's President Omar Al-Beshir to comply with any action by the International Criminal Court, which is considering whether to indict him for alleged war crimes in Darfur, despite objections from other African leaders. “For us, this selection sends a bad message,” said Christian Mounzeo, head of the Meeting for Peace and Human Rights (RPDH), given “the state of human rights and the exercise of authoritarian power in his country.” The summit's main agenda - to boost Africa's energy and transport networks - was pushed largely to the fringes, weighed down by the grim realities of the global economic downturn.
