Problems on path to 'United States of Africa'

SIRTE, Libya: Security, piracy and international justice were top issues on yesterday's agenda at an African Union summit of heads of state set to lay the groundwork for an eventual United States of Africa.

Libya, the host of the 13th AU summit, held in the coastal town of Sirte east of the capital, Tripoli, is putting strong pressure on other African countries to agree to change the AU "Commission" into an "Authority". The goal is to simplify the AU to create a more powerful and cohesive body, seen as a buildup for what Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi ultimately envisions as the "United States of Africa".

But some of the continent's wealthier nations, led by Nigeria and South Africa, appear to be resisting the move. African diplomats say there are worries the new structure could become overbearing, especially given Gadhafi's tendency to intervene across Africa over the past decades. They say a foreign ministers' meeting late on Wednesday ended with some countries storming out of the room. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions.