Gadaffi out as African Union head

Stranger than fiction, kids.

Everyone’s favorite eccentric dictator is out of a job. Libyan leader Muammar al-Gadaffi is no longer head of the African Union. The African Union is an intergovernmental organization for the continent’s countries (with a few exceptions, such as Morocco and Madagascar) that is akin to the European Union or the Arab League.

Now, here’s the thing. The African Union is supposed to have a rotating presidency, with leaders serving for one year each. Gadaffi was elected to the presidency in 2009 and tried to change the rotating system — against protocol, he sought a second term.

Gadaffi’s plan for the African Union was both eccentric and ambitious. He attempted to change the organization’s aims and goals — Gadaffi attempted to sell members on the creation of a “United States of Africa” and publicly rebuked the heads of rival states for giving “boring speeches.” While visiting Addis Ababa for the 2009 African Union summit, he had tribal kings and rulers from throughout the continent flown in for a coronation ceremony in which he was declared “King of Kings of Africa.”

True to form, Gadaffi’s last moments as head of the African Union were filled with high weirdness:

In Sunday’s opening ceremony, [Gadaffi] did try to have his way by asking a representative of the Forum of traditional kings, sultans chiefs and princes — an organisation he created from scratch — to deliver an unscheduled speech.

The representative, whose name was not given, decked out in gold necklaces and carrying a sceptre, provoked some laughter and an equal amount of embarrassment as he went up onto the podium.

Comparing Kadhafi to the prophets “of the Bible or the Koran”, he loudly exhorted the heads of state present to “follow the Guide whio is showing us the way,” saying that he had the backing of all the peoples of Africa.

African leaders resoundingly voted against a second term for Gadaffi. His sucessor will be the President of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika. Though he will likely be a competent and fit chairman, his rule will undoubtedly not be as interesting as Gadaffi’s.