Qaddafi Named Chairman of African Union

Muammar Qaddafi vowed to pursue his dream of creating a united, pan-African government after being named chairman of the African Union today, Reuters reports. Elected by African heads of state for a 1-year term, the Libyan leader said the organization must consider his proposal for a “United States of Africa” at the next summit in July.

Qaddafi said only opposition from a majority of African countries would stop his proposal. “If we don’t have a quorum for rejection, that means we have accepted it,” Qaddafi said. While all members of the AU say they support the creation of an African state in theory, Qaddafi’s plan is likely to meet opposition from many nations, including South Africa. (More Moammar Gadhafi stories.)