The not yet very successful European Union continues to be a stimulant for other regions of the world where countries want to establish some form of a union to bolster economy and deal more effectively with security issues.

The African countries came together in 2001 to form the African Union, liquidating the previous pan-African formations African Economic Unity (AEU) and the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). They wish to introduce a single currency for all the African countries and have a unified defence force, apart from having a common cabinet of ministers and a head of state.

But, the Union has remained ineffective in solving the regional problems and is not taken seriously even by the member countries.
The latest criticism has come from the Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi who lashed out at the African Union saying ‘For forty years all the summits have failed. Our micro-states have no future.’

He strongly urged upon the African nations to come under one union and said:

My vision is to wake up the African leaders to unify our continent. Long live the United States of Africa. Long live African unity.

Gaddafi has chosen the 9th African Union summit in Accra, Ghana, where leaders from the 53 member countries will be in session between 25th June and 3rd July 2007 as the occasion to push his idea.

The African Union has miserably failed to help resolve the Darfur and Somalia crises. It was not able to send enough peace-keeping troops to security hot-spots due to the pulls and pushes within the Union.

In recent times, AU has found itself helpless on the face of serious threat to democratic institutions in Zimbabwe where president Robert Mugabe has been running a dictatorship in spite of severe economic degradation and resultant social unrest.

The Libyan strongman Colonel Gaddafi is ill-reputed as an upholder of democratic values in his own country. His idea, however attractive a proposal it may be, is not expected to get the support of the powerful member countries – like Egypt, South Africa, and Nigeria – in the union. These countries are also not amused by Gaddafi’s quest for leadership over the other countries in the Union.