The 13th African Union (AU) summit wrapped up here Friday after the AU leaders reached an agreement on the creation of a new Authority and approved a resolution to end cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over extraditing Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir.

African leaders have reached an agreement on the creation of the African Union (AU) Authority, but it has to be ratified by African parliamentaries, said Libyan leader Muammar Khaddafi at the closing session of the 13th AU summit.

Khaddafi said the African leaders "decided to establish a new Authority speaking in one voice on behalf of the African people," adding that the new organ is headed by a president and possessing an enhanced role to coordinate foreign affairs, trade and defence policies in the world's poorest continent.

But the AU Authority will only come into force when the 53 African states ratify an amended treaty of the AU, known as the Constitutive Act, according to the veteran Libyan leader.

The compromise reached among African leaders after three-day heated debate would give the African states at least six years to consult their parliaments before committing themselves to submitting their authority to the new AU Authority, diplomatic sources said.

The idea of establishing a unity government in Africa has been discussed for years among the continent's leaders. Khaddafi is leading the calls to immediately establish a union government, which he believes is the only way to meet the challenges of globalization, fight poverty and resolve conflicts without western interference.

Meanwhile, the AU leaders decided "in view of the fact that the request by the African Union has never been acted upon that AU member states shall not cooperate pursuant to the provisions of Article 98 of the Rome Statute on the ICC...or the arrest and surrender of African indicted personalities," said a text of the resolution seen by Xinhua at the end of the AU summit.

On March 4, The Hague-based ICC issued an arrest warrant against al-Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan's restive western region of Darfur between 2003 and 2008.

With the theme of "investing in agriculture for economic growth and food security," the summit witnessed intensive discussions among African leaders on how to transform the executive arm of the AU and a number of hot pot issues in the continent, such as Somalia, Madagascar and Mauritania.

After overnight marathon talks, the African leaders reached a consensus on early Friday morning on the transformation of the AU Commission into new "African Authority," which comprises a chair, a vice-chair and 10 secretaries with specific portfolios.

Libya is expected to host a special AU summit in early September, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Gaddafi's rise to power of the Libyan "Guide" on Sept. 1, 1969, after the overthrow of King Idriss.

Leaders from about half of the AU's members came to the three-day summit in Libya's coastal city of Sirte, where the proclamation of the AU was signed in 1999.

Source: Xinhua