African Union chairman Alpha Konare opened a two-day union summit in Abuja Sunday with a plea for member states to work in unity on security and economic issues. "There must be a single united Africa, where there is no north of Sahara or sub-Sahara. Where there is no white African or black African and where there is no East Africa or West Africa," Konare told delegates in his opening address. "We want a prolific Africa where a pan-African parliament is put in place, where there is social security and economic stability and a continent where member-countries would not carry arms against themselves or undermine themselves," he said. Konare said the summit must address the issue of security on the continent because "without security, there cannot be development". "Lasting peace must be achieved between Ethiopia and Eritrea and there must be re-emergence of peace in Somalia, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of the Congo and in all flash points on the African continent," he said. On the issue of debt cancellation Konare said efforts must be made to ensure that many African countries got relief, as it would help them to attain the Millennium Development Goals. He said Africa must also work to expand infrastructure on the continent such as the Inga Dam in Congo, which could be used to provide electricity for many African countries, and trans-national highways, which could be used to facilitate trade between African countries. "We must ensure that Africa is not turned into a dumping ground for goods from other countries of the world," he noted.
