Mogae, an economist by profession from Oxford University in the UK, thinks many of Gaddaffi’s ideas, in particular that of a single African army are too advanced for any other African leader.
“I don’t think he will find general support,” said Mogae on Tuesday at a press conference in Gaborone.
The Libyan leader is reported to be advocating for a single African army, which according to him would save individual African countries billions of Dollars, which could be diverted into other more important projects.
The meeting, scheduled to take place on Friday and Saturday at the seaside town of Sirte will discuss defence and security issues as well as Agriculture and the use of Africa’s water resources.
According to reports in the Libyan press, Gadaffi told African defence ministers on Sunday after meeting them in Sirte that he “wanted a single African army which would help solve inter-African conflicts and help protect the continent from all foreign aggression.”
He is also reported to have argued that dissolving national armies will save them 13 billion Dollars a year.
But Mogae has dismissed the declaration as Gaddafi’s drem and not that of the African defence ministers whom he said had been hoodwinked into it without making their input.
He stressed that Gadaffi caused the ministers to leave their meeting in Tripoli by inviting them to Sirte, an hour’s flight from the capital city.
He added that Gadaffi had deliberately ensured that the ministers came to Sirte without their officials.
“When some ministers said they had left their officials behind he said those are the people that I don’t want, Mogae said of Gadaffi.
“He kept them there the whole day and only took them back in the evening and now he has sent this declaration but they (ministers) are saying no,” said the president.
He stated that many of Gadaffi’s ideas are way ahead of the thinking in the continent and emphasised that there are many other priorities that need their attention than these grandiose plans.
He cited the many wars and conflicts in the continent such as in the DRC, Liberia and other countries.
“Since yesterday it was all bad news in Uganda and Burundi and there are other conflicts in Ethiopia and Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan. Those are our priorities,” he stressed.
Asked whether Botswana would seek Libyan investment after reports that the country has ploughed 250 million Dollars into investment in agriculture and other projects in Africa he said: “Brother leader...his country is rich.
“He could come here and say I want to build you a mosque and if we say no we have many, we want schools he would not give us schools,” he said.
“This is what we call unsound ideas gathering currents,” Mogae
said before concluding that he would not stay away from the special summit.
This is because he does not want to be seen as the odd one out.
