“The African People have always resisted efforts to divide their countries by the colonialist, who aimed to divide the countries of the Continent into geographical regions into Black and White Africa and into Africa North of the Sahara and Africa South of the Sahara. They also tried to consolidate the reality of French Speaking Africa, English speaking Africa and Portuguese speaking Africa.

Inspired by all these efforts Africa has always maintained its unity and confirmed that in many announcements and Resolutions.” So says a media release from the Libyan People’s Bureau of the Great Socialist People’s Arab Jamahiriya in Banjul.

According to the release, the Sirte declaration issued on the 9/9/1999 had spelt out the insistence of African Leaders and heads of Governments on intensifying Unity, Solidarity and Integration among the people’s of Africa. African Leaders had also confirmed in the resolution No.-(107), validated by the Khartoum Summit and the Resolution No: (130) Validated by the Banjul Summit, that Africa is one and cannot accept division, partition or joining any part of it to another space or Continent except the African Continent.

“The Notion of one Africa is the one from the North to the South, from the East to the West. The one that avoids signing any agreement aiming at dividing the Continent,” the release states.

Africa has established co-operation with other spaces and groupings in the world like The African Arab Co-operation, the co-operation between the African Union and The European Union manifested in Cairo Summit in the year 2000, in the Lisbon Summit in 2007 and in the Third Summit between the two unions which is to be held in Libya.

On the other hand, it added, the co-operation has begun between Countries North of the Continent bordering the Mediterranean Sea and European Countries bordering the same sea. The Co-operation consists of many sectors like the eradication of pollution, protection of the environment and combat terrorism. This co-operation consists of five African Countries North of the Continent and they are: The Greta Jamahiriya, Morocco, Tunis, Algeria and Mauritania and Five European Countries which are: Italy, Malta, France, Spain and Portugal.

The French President Nicola Shakozy has made a proposal recently on what he called the Mediterranean Union of African and European Countries bordering Mediterranean Sea. It was agreed that the Mediterranean union should be expanded to include Egypt in the African Continent and Greece in the European continent. Germany and other European Countries opposed the said Proposal on the basis that it will divide the European Continent.

France has called for the expansion of the said Mediterranean Union to include the whole European union, including countries which have been nominated in Asia to join the (EU) and those countries don’t even share border with the Mediterranean sea. Many North African countries agreed on the French proposal. The constituent conference about the Mediterranean was held in pairs on the 13/ 7 /2008 and all member countries of the European Union attended it. Four countries in the North African Region participated in the conference which issued a declaration and called a union for the sake of the Mediterranean. The Great Jamahiriya did not participate and completely boycotted it for the following Reasons.

Her entire commitments to the Resolutions issued by the summit are: meeting of the Africa union and they are: resolution No(107) issued by the Khartoum summit and Resolution No (130) and validated by the Banjul summit. Understand that the concept of a union for the sake of Mediterranean will divide the African  continent  into African north  of the Sahara, Africa south of the Sahara , white Africa, Black Africa , and such  a  union will contain part of the  African territory  exposed to the centre of influence and  Domination.

This is to be made clear that Great Jamahiriya at a time welcomes and support co-operation between African and European Unions according to strategies commonly agreed on. She emphasises the necessity that Europe and other Countries of the world should deal with Africa as one geographic entity, human, political and cultural unit. “Africa will not accept any division, partition or integration of any part of it with any other space or groping. It will denounce any idea that ignores the reality that the African Continent is one unique space with a single political instrument of The African Union.”

It said that some African countries immediately expressed their reaction to the conference and many statements were issued from The President of The Republic of Togo, President of The Republic of Benin and President of the Republic of Madagascar. The Carbonise President Omar Bango said The Union for the Mediterranean was formed to destroy The African Union and its founders, and support those who are bent on distracting all efforts to develop Africa. The Senegalese President Abdoulie Wade criticised the union for the Mediterranean and said that it aims to disintegrate The African Union.

The Education and Information Affairs Officer at the Libyan Embassy, Mr. Zeyad Abulgasim Muhamed, is of the firm conviction that regional integration is the only solution to Africa’s numerous problems.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with this reporter at his office in Fajara recently, Zeyad said when united economically and socially, in matters of trade, Foreign Affairs and in the areas of security Africa would be greater for her people. “Our leader brother Muammar Gathafi has done a lot for African unity. It’s high time for us as Africans to unite for the benefit of us all,” he noted. According to him, Gathafi’s revolutionary vision is to see the future of Africa as bright.

Africa, he said, is a unified continent that has been divided by her colonial masters in order to make integration difficult. “[I] am convinced that when united we would be able to solve the current food and fuels crises because unity is strength,” he said. He added that Africa, in terms of natural resources, is the greatest continent but still these resources are not solving the problems of Africans. He cited the examples of the European Union and United States of America and said that these unions can and should be replicated in Africa.  Americans and Europeans have struggled to be united why not Africans?

Mr. Zeyad, himself a youth, used the opportunity to appeal to African youths to stop illegally immigrating to Europe for what he called a search for so called greener pastures but rather stay home and work for the betterment of the motherland Africa.  He believes that the problems of Africa can only be solved by Africans themselves and not by westerners as others might perceive it.

Turning back to The Gambia, as an education officer Mr. Zeyad said his country normally offers several scholarships to Gambian students to study their own choice of field. He assured the people of The Gambia that this progamme would continue. He applauded the Gambian leader President Jammeh for appointing Ms Fatim Badgie as Secretay of State for Information Communication and Technology. A move he said is a step in the right direction as young people have the potential to contribute effectively to the development of Africa. Zeyad also hailed African leaders for the bold steps they have taken towards the attainment of African Unity.

The leader of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriyya, President Muammar Qaddafi, on Friday donated five camels to the Gambian leader, President Alhagie Yahya Jammeh.

The camels comprise of two big females, one big male, one small male and one small female were brought to Banjul in a Cargo plane, Trans Attico  Cargo ST-ATH under the care of a six-member crew led by Dr. Muktar Muhammed.

The camel laden plane that landed at the Banjul International Airport at exactly 9:30pm on Friday, is on a camel distribution mission to eight African countries including Ghana, Libria, Cote d'Ivoire, Bukina Fasso and The Gambia, according to officials. The camels given to the Gambian leader are said to be between the ages of two months  and half and 13 years. The plane

This cargo plane is not new in visiting The Gambia as it was here less than seven months when it brought foodstuff and clothing to the Gambian people.

Officially handing over the camels to the Gambian authorities at the airport, Mr. Muhammed Alk Matty, Deputy Libyan Ambassador to The Gambia, said: "This is a gift from our leader, Brother Qaddafi, to his brother, President Jammeh".

He expressed his pleasure in presenting the camels on behalf of the leader of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

In receiving the gifts on behalf of President Jammeh, Mr. Juma Janneh from the Department of State for Foreign Affairs, thanked the Libyan leader for the gesture. "On behalf of the President I say we are very grateful for this gift," he noted. He stressed that the gift would strengthen the cordial relationship between the two countries.

Among those present at the airport were staff of the Libyan embassy, including the Consular Officer, Mr. Lotfi H. Zlitni.

The camel is believed to be a domesticated animal for about 4000 years. The species being distributed are said to belong to the category of camels with only one hump, the majority of which are found in both hot and moderate countries as North and Central Africa. Gifted with a physiological capacity allowing it to tolerate the dry environmental conditions of the Sahara, the camel is used as a means of transport and communication between neighbouring countries. This is in addition to its use as a sourse of meat, hair and milk, as well as in agricultural activities.

According to a cencus of the Arab Organization of Agricultural Development in 2002, the Great Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was home to 126,000 camels.