AU delegations attend the opening session of the 13th African Union summit of heads of state and government in Sirte, Libya, Wednesday, July 1, 2009. (AP Photo / Nasser Nasser) By Alfred de Montesquiou Associated Press Writer / July 3, 2009 SIRTE, Libya—Concluding marathon talks held late into the night, African leaders agreed Friday to a Libyan-driven push to transform the African Union and in theory greatly extend its powers. The change was materialized by morphing the African Union's executive body, the commission, into an "African Authority." The draft document adopted at 4 a.m. at the AU summit of heads of states in Sirte, Libya, showed that the new Authority would simplify the AU's structure and boost its power over defense, diplomatic and international trade matters. The document, obtained by The Associated Press, was... [read full story]
