-She noted that while Gaddafi had been instrumental in creating and funding the AU, which was founded in 2002, African states had the duty to help support his ouster from power.

US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday called for African nations to abandon Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi, saying he was a menace to his people, dpa reported.

“For as long as Mr Gaddafi remains in Libya, the people of Libya will be in danger. Gadaffi must leave power. I urge all African states to call for a genuine ceasefire and to call for Gaddafi to step aside”, Clinton said in a speech to the African Union (AU) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

In the first speech by a US secretary of state to the body, Clinton asked the 53-member organization to support the transition to democracy in Libya.

She noted that while Gaddafi had been instrumental in creating and funding the AU, which was founded in 2002, African states had the duty to help support his ouster from power.

The AU, which has sought a negotiated solution to the conflict, has condemned NATO airstrikes against Gaddafi’s power bases in the country.

Clinton made her remarks towards the end of a five-day trip to Africa, which began on Friday. Prior to her current stay in Ethiopia, the top US diplomat visited Zambia and Tanzania.