PORT LOUIS, March 17: The chairman of the African Union Commission, Amara Essy, warned on Monday that a US-led war on Iraq would be disastrous for Africa.

“The consequences of a war in Iraq for Africa will be disastrous, especially from the point of view of global security,” Mr Essy said in Mauritius, where he was attending a conference of university rectors and vice-chancellors.

“We fear that the war will create insecurity in which Africans will find themselves caught up,” Mr Essy told AFP.

“At the African Union level, we have adopted a text on Iraq where we said clearly that we favoured disarmament by diplomatic and peaceful means,” he recalled.

“Everthing must be done even if we know there is very little room for dialogue now.—AFP