African countries have decided to lift some of the sanctions imposed against Libya by the United Nations because of its alleged involvement in the bombing of an airliner over Scotland in 1988.

Leaders at the Organisation of African Unity summit in Burkina Faso said some air and travel sanctions would not now apply.

A senior official said that if the Libyan leader, Colonel Gadaffi, wanted to fly in to attend the close of the summit, that would be perfectly legal as far as Africa was concerned.

A resolution said some trade sanctions might also be lifted if the United States and Britain did not agree to allow the two Libyan suspects in the bombing to be tried in a neutral country.

A BBC correspondent at the summit says a general loosening of the sanctions now seems inevitable.

Our correspondent says Libyan diplomats were delighted with the resolution.