According to a Russian article titled ''Bombing of Libya - Punishment for Qaddafi for His Attempt to Refuse US Dollar,'' Gaddafi initiated a movement to refuse the dollar and the [[Euro]] as payment for crude oil shipments, and called on [[Arab]] and African nations to use a new currency instead, the gold dinar. Gaddafi proposed establishing a united African continent, with its 200 million people using this single currency. The initiative was viewed negatively by the United States and the [[European Union]], with French president Nicolas Sarkozy calling Libya a threat to the financial security of mankind; but Gaddafi continued his push for the creation of a united Africa. Indeed, on September 9, 1999, the first steps towards the formation of the [[African Union]] were taken by the Heads of State of the then [[Organisation of African Unity]].<ref>[http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/aboutau/au_in_a_nutshell_en.htm The AU in a nutshell]</ref> | According to a Russian article titled ''Bombing of Libya - Punishment for Qaddafi for His Attempt to Refuse US Dollar,'' Gaddafi initiated a movement to refuse the dollar and the [[Euro]] as payment for crude oil shipments, and called on [[Arab]] and African nations to use a new currency instead, the gold dinar. Gaddafi proposed establishing a united African continent, with its 200 million people using this single currency. The initiative was viewed negatively by the United States and the [[European Union]], with French president Nicolas Sarkozy calling Libya a threat to the financial security of mankind; but Gaddafi continued his push for the creation of a united Africa. Indeed, on September 9, 1999, the first steps towards the formation of the [[African Union]] were taken by the Heads of State of the then [[Organisation of African Unity]].<ref>[http://www.africa-union.org/root/au/aboutau/au_in_a_nutshell_en.htm The AU in a nutshell]</ref> |