Gaddafi calls for African army
2004-02-24 14:12
Syrte - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has called for a pan-African army to replace national militaries in order to protect the troubled continent from foreign attack and solve internal wars.
A "single African army" would help solve inter-African conflicts and divert billions of dollars to development projects, Gaddafi told African defence ministers in Syrte, 500 kilometres east of Tripoli.
"The creation of an African army means dissolving national armies and (saving) large amounts of money spent on such militaries," Gaddafi told the opening of the ministers' second conference.
Africa spends around $13bn (About R86bn) each year on its standing armies of 1, 25 million soldiers, he added.
A million-strong united army would save countries 50 percent of their annual defence budgets or $7bn (about R48bn), which could be spent on health and development, Gaddafi said.