The African Union has been holding a summit meeting in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, expected to focus on the problems in the Darfur region of Sudan.
The group, which has 36 member states, replaced the Organisation for African Unity two years ago.
Armed Arab militias in Darfur have killed thousands of villagers and displaced more than a million from their homes, leading to what the UN says is the world's worst humanitarian crisis.
The African Union has agreed to send an armed force to Darfur to protect its ceasefire monitors there.
A spokesman said there was a serious need for intervention by African nations in addition to broader international action.
