Gadhafi says Africa should have continental army
April 4, 2007 (DAKAR) — Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi urged Africa on Wednesday to form a unified continental army to defend its interests, and he said former colonial powers should pay compensation for the raw materials they had extracted.
In a fiery speech at a military parade in Dakar marking Senegal’s National Day, Gadhafi said African nations had the right to demand reparations from their former colonial masters for the diamonds, gold and other resources they had “pillaged”.
Military and political unity would help Africa resist any attempts to re-colonise it, the Libyan leader said.
“If we manage to unify all of Africa’s armies in a single army, Africa will have such power,” Gadhafi said, wearing a double-breasted white jacket with medal ribbons pinned on the left and a green outline of Africa emblazoned on the right.
“We must be strong so as not to be an easy prey for the colonisers,” said the Libyan leader, standing beside Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade who was sworn in for a second term in office on Tuesday after winning elections last month.
While Gadhafi advocated a mighty African army, a top African Union official in Sudan appealed for better logistical support and weapons for the struggling, overstretched AU peacekeeping force serving in Sudan’s violence-torn Darfur region.
Gadhafi, who often portrays himself as a champion of African unity, said the thousands of Africans who tried to migrate to Europe each year were merely following the route of the natural riches shipped out of Africa by European ex-colonial powers.
“Today, they contest our departure for Europe, they say it’s illegal migration … after they came from Europe and elsewhere to occupy Africa … was that legal?” he added, speaking through an interpreter.
“They have left us in poverty. They have carried off our resources and raw materials to their countries … so we want to go after them, or they should send them back … in the form of compensation for their colonisation of Africa,” Gaddafi said.
Suggesting that racism coloured Europe’s view of Africa, the Libyan leader added: “Who says white is better than black?”.
“Both black and white cows give white milk,” he said, before finishing his speech with a revolutionary slogan borrowed from the guerrilla legend Che Guevara: “The struggle continues. Ever onwards unto victory!”.
(Reuters)