DURING HIS 39-YEAR rule as Libya’s undisputed dictator, Muammar Qaddafi has picked up various titles, including “Brotherly Leader,” “Guide of the Revolution,” and “king of kings.” The latter title was recently bestowed by 200 African kings and tribal rulers in a ceremony whose pomposity was exceeded only by its grandiose calls for African unity. Not content with these accolades, Qaddafi secured yet another badge of honor this week when the 53-member African Union elected him as its chairman.
“I hope my term will be a time of serious work and not just words,” said the golden-robed Qaddafi in his inaugural speech. The “serious work” he has in mind involves the creation of a United States of Africa, defended by a single military and sharing a common currency. Qaddafi’s election suggests that the African Union, established in 2002 to replace the Organization for African Unity, suffers from the same contagion of corruption and authoritarian rule that ravaged its predecessor.
