VOA标准英语2010年-Libya Renews Call for United States of

A pre-summit meeting of African foreign ministers has opened with a Libyan call for prompt action to realize Moammar Gadhafi's dream of a continental¹ federation².  Ministers are preparing for a summit of African leaders beginning Sunday.

Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa told the African Union Executive Council the organization must redouble efforts to create a federation, which he called the United States of Africa.

When he was elected AU chairman a year ago, Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi said he would use his one-year term to further his dream of a continental government.

He outlined a plan for a federation that would have a single African military force, a single currency and a single passport for Africans to move freely around the continent.

The concept of a united Africa is a generally agreed goal among AU member states, but most leaders appear to favor a go-slow approach.  Libya's foreign minister Koussa, speaking in Arabic, said Mr. Gaddafi wants to see a radical³ transformation⁴ of the union soon.

He says the current organization is not compatible with the concept of a United States of Africa, so we need to place these structures within an authority to make it a tool for the goals we are setting.

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi (File)

African diplomats⁵ say Mr. Gadhafi is hoping to win a second term as AU chairman because not enough progress in creating a powerful continental authority to replace the current AU Commission structure.

Africa's heads of state are to meet in closed session Sunday to decide whether to give the Libyan leader another year or to continue the tradition of regional rotation⁶, by which Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutarika would take over the chairmanship.

Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers faces a daunting⁷ agenda before heads of state arrive, including difficult questions on conflicts and unconstitutional changes of government. 

Wednesday, an AU international contact group on Guinea ordered the country's military junta⁸ to hold elections within six months.  Guinea has been suspended from AU membership since a December, 2008 military coup⁹.

AU Peace and Security Commissioner¹⁰ Ramtane Lamamra says Africa's trouble spots always seem to dominate summit discussions.

"The heads of state will devote much attention to Somalia, to Sudan, to the Great Lakes region, as well as to the unconstitutional changes of government; Madagascar and Guinea," said Lamamra.  "So with that I think they will have a lot to exchange and very action-oriented guidance to the Commission so we can proceed in the months to come and achieve positive outcomes," he said.

The summit will also give approval to a $201 million budget for the coming year, including $77 million for development and $30 million for peace and security. 

The budget represents a 25-percent increase over last year's $162 million, but AU experts say that is explained by the inclusion for the first time of peace and security activities in the total.  In real terms, spending levels will remain about the same.

Member state contributions account for about two-thirds of the budget.  Foreign donors¹¹ provide the other third.

1 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

2 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

3 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

4 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

5 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 rotation   

n.旋转；循环，轮流

参考例句：

• Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
• The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。

7 daunting   

adj.使人畏缩的

参考例句：

• They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
• Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。

8 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

9 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

10 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

11 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》