A summit of African leaders opened yesterday with a special welcome for the firebrand presidents of Iran and Venezuela, each visiting the world's poorest continent to win support for his anti-American agenda.
Gambian President Yahya Jammeh hailed the presence of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez and Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the summit of the 53-nation African Union as "a morale booster as well as an assurance that Africa can make it."
Mr. Ahmadinejad's visit was seen as an attempt to bolster Iran in its standoff with the United States and Europe over its nuclear program. The Iranian president has made several high-profile trips to Asia, where he drew crowds of Muslims cheering Tehran for defying the West. He prayed with African Muslims at Banjul's main mosque Friday, encouraging Gambian Muslims to "come together on the path of Islam to God."
Ninety percent of Gambia's 1.6 million people are Muslim, and Islam is a powerful force throughout much of Africa. |