Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi put $90 billion at the disposal of Africa during summit talks on creating a "United States of Africa", Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade said yesterday.

"We were having a discussion to define a common stance on progress to a United States of Africa," Mr Wade said during the lunch break at the meeting.

"We raised the economic issue and particularly the projects to be achieved in African countries. To do this, Mr Gaddafi put $90 billion at the disposal of Africa," he said.

"Now, it's a question of defining the mechanism by which we should use this money. I propose a fund in partnership with the private sector," Mr Wade said on the sidelines of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) summit.

The Senegalese leader gave no details of how the funds might be allocated or when.

Last Thursday, Mr Gaddafi called for a charter adopted by the African Union on the creation of a "United States of Africa" to be applied.