Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi urged Africa to form a unified continental army to defend its interests, and said former colonial powers should pay compensation for raw materials they had extracted. In a fiery speech at a military parade in Dakar marking Senegal's National Day on Wednesday, Gaddafi said African nations have the right to demand reparations from their former colonial masters for the diamonds, gold and other resources they had pillaged, Reuters reported. Military and political unity would help Africa resist any attempts to re-colonize it, the Libyan leader said. Who's been talking about recolonizing Africa?
I did. I suggested letting the Eye-ties run Somalia again. My fault. Sorry.
Now look what you've done! Dammit! No teevee for a week!
"If we manage to unify all of Africa's armies in a single army, Africa will have such power," Gaddafi said.
Actually, Africa wouldn't. It would have large numbers of people dressed alike and in a few of the same places. Nobody'd be much more impressed than they are now.
"We must be strong so as not to be an easy prey for the colonizers," added 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.
"In incoherence lies strength! The sweeping and unfounded generalization in the strength of Africa!"
Gaddafi, who often portrays himself as a champion of African unity, said the thousands of Africans who tried to migrate to Europe each year are 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?" the Libyan leader raised the issue before the gathering.