Addis Ababa — PRESIDENT Mugabe has urged African countries to pursue African solutions to African problems and, where they fall short, to resort to the UN system so that they do not open the continent to self-serving, destructive organisations like Nato.

Though it was convened under the theme, "Consolidation of intra-African trade", the mid-term summit was seized with deliberating solutions to the peace and security challenges in Mali, Guinea Bissau, Sudan and the DRC as well as bringing finality to the impasse that had gripped the leadership of the AU Commission.

President Mugabe, who was addressing the plenary of the 19th Ordinary Session of the African Union in Addis Ababa, underscored the importance of protecting the continent's territorial integrity.

"When all is said and done in regard to the peace and security situation of Africa whether we look at Somalia, or we look at Mali, Libya, Egypt, et cetera, what we all want to see is that whatever situations of concern arise, these situations are the concern for Africa. First and foremost, and if Africa says alone it is not adequate, then Africa will resort to the international area where we have the United Nations," he said

The President cited the case of Libya where Nato abused a UN resolution to invade Libya, depose the government and kill Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his children.

"Instead of operating within the scope of the agreement, it (Nato) extended its activities beyond that scope. And we saw it damage the Libyan situation much beyond our expectations. They did lots of harm to the lives of people. Many people were killed. And they pursued the lives of persons, the lives Gaddafi, his children."