The veteran leader also criticised new conditions that allow for Western investment in African fossil fuel - but only if the oil and gas is being exported to Europe. He termed it the purest hypocrisy.

"We will not accept one rule for them and another rule for us. We will not allow African progress to be the victim of Europe's failure to meet its own climate goals," he wrote in his blog.

He said campaigns for African nations to embrace clean energy "leave Africans without electricity when the wind does not blow, and the sun does not shine".

He added: "Europe's failure to meet its climate goals should not be Africa's problem."