Libyan leader's motorcade heads for Sierra Leone

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, leading a motorcade of hundreds of vehicles, left the West African country of Mali to Guinea on Saturday, said reports from the Malian capital of Bamako. A Libyan diplomat said Gaddafi chose the 1,000-km drive as he wanted to have a look at the real situation in the region. After arriving in Bamako by plane on Friday, Gaddafi told local media that he hoped to take the opportunity of his visit to convey the Libyan people's regards to Mali. Libya hopes that African leaders would reach consensus on the establishment of an African community at a summit in the Ghanaian capital of Accra in July, said Gaddafi, who was met by Malian President Amadou Toumani Toure at the airport. During the Accra summit, leaders from African Union member countries are expected to discuss the idea of a "United States of Africa." Gaddafi said all African nations aspire to set up such a community. Following his trip in Guinea, the Libyan leader will visit Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire before arriving in Accra.

People's Daily Online -- Libyan leader's motorcade heads for Guinea