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SIRTE, Libya - Africa's conflicts took a back seat Tuesday to a surprise visit by Iran's hardline president and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's drive to create an "African government" ahead of a continental summit.
Gadhafi was elected president of the African Union in February, and the self-styled "king of kings" is using his term to press his scheme for African unity under a stronger AU executive, despite objections from key countries including South Africa, the continent's biggest economy.
His drive had already diverted attention from African trouble spots when Tehran announced that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would visit Libya on Wednesday to address the summit, after Iran's top electoral body confirmed his re-election despite massive opposition protests.
Diplomats expressed surprise at Ahmadinejad's visit, indicating Gadhafi had extended the invitation without consulting the bloc's 53 members.
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