Colourful meeting of African heads

By Peter Biles BBC World Affairs correspondent in Maputo

Conflict resolution was high on the agenda at this year's African Union summit.

It was fitting that African heads of state chose to meet in Mozambique at a time when they were committing themselves to peace and stability in Africa.

Liberia's Charles Taylor was a noticeable absentee

This former Portuguese colony, which came through one of the darkest periods of post-colonial history in the 1970s and 1980s, successfully turned its back on war more than a decade ago.

Today, Mozambique is one of Africa's few success stories and an example to those countries still beset by conflict.

African leaders know that unless they bring an end to Africa's wars, their much-heralded recovery plan, the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) will never get off the ground.

The annual meeting of African heads of state is always a highly colourful occasion.

English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Arabic voices float on the breeze, as dark-suited dignitaries from east and southern Africa mingle with their flamboyantly-dressed counterparts from west Africa.

Colourful speech

There is however, one man who always steals the limelight - Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya.

With his expansive motorcade, the Gaddafi circus never failed to cause a stir among the waiting journalists as he swept in and out of the Maputo conference centre each day.

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe kept a low profile

The Libyan leader favours a bullet-proof dark green stretch-limousine, but he is closely followed by a car with an array of radio aerials and security equipment to block all mobile phone signals as Gaddafi drives past.

While his fellow African leaders walk up the red carpet into the main hall, Mr Gaddafi goes to extremes, with his car driving over the carpet to bring him even closer to the door. His Herculean female bodyguard, in her red beret, keeps the press photographers at bay.

When invited to express a vote of thanks during the closing session of the summit, Mr Gaddafi, dressed in a flowing orange gown, took the floor and delivered a ranting speech that lasted about half an hour.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, was one leader who chose not to stay and listen.

Leadership gossip

A constant talking point among observers at these annual meetings is which African presidents have decided to attend and which have stayed away.

The most noticeable absentee this year was the Liberian President, Charles Taylor, now an indicted war criminal, but still holding on to power in Monrovia. He is refusing to accept an offer of asylum in Nigeria until international peacekeepers arrive in Liberia.

Colonel Gaddafi made an impromptu speech

President John Kufuor of Ghana said he hoped a force of more than 1,000 west African peacekeeping troops would be sent to Liberia within the next week or two in order to facilitate the removal of Mr Taylor.

President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was in Maputo, but kept an unusually low profile. With steely determination, he lowered his head and refused to be drawn by reporters' questions as he entered the building.

The crisis in Zimbabwe was not on the AU summit agenda, but diplomats confirmed that behind the scenes, there was much quiet diplomacy, with some African leaders preferring to voice their concerns about Zimbabwe privately.

Madagascar was welcomed back into the fold of the African Union this year, having been excluded from last year's summit in Durban because of the violent power struggle going on in Madagascar at that time.

It was even hoped that Madagascar, now led by President Marc Ravalomanana, would host next year's event, but President Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique announced that following the troubles in Madagascar, the country was not yet ready to stage an AU summit.

The leaders will therefore gather at the African Union's headquarters in Addis Ababa in 2004.

While the presidents were at work, drafting declarations on armed conflict, the fight against HIV/Aids and poverty, Africa's first ladies were clearly enjoying the Maputo experience.

They brought added elegance to the famous Polana Hotel, as they admired the views of the Indian Ocean from the terraced lawns.

Back in the heat of the conference centre, President Chissano was asked by the BBC to summarise in 30 seconds what the African Union had achieved this year.

"I don't need 30 seconds", he replied. "Quite simply, we have more cohesion and more solidarity."

In the gardens outside however, the former Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda, clutching his familiar white handkerchief, spoke of the dangers of failing to meet the complex challenges facing Africa in the 21st Century.

"We have to succeed, otherwise, we'll perish", he warned.