Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said on Friday Algeria would host a North African summit later this month, in a rare show of unity for a key region in the U.S. war on terror. The summit of the five-nation Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) — the first since 1994 — will also come at an opportune time for the Muslim region of 80 million people as it seeks to strengthen economic and political ties with the Europe Union across the Mediterranean. “I hope that Algeria…will host the summit of heads of state of the Arab Maghreb Union before the end of the year, which will give a new impetus to our union,” Bouteflika told an unprecedented summit of five southern European and North African leaders. Full Story