African Union

The African Union (AU) was established in 2002 as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which had been founded in 1963. This transition marked a significant milestone in the continent’s history, reflecting the evolution and growth of Africa’s collective aspirations and goals.

To understand its role better, let’s trace its historical evolution in simpler terms.

The OAU was founded in 1963 with aims to end colonialism and apartheid, foster unity among African states, protect their sovereignty and territorial integrity, and intensify international cooperation for development.
In 1994, the African Economic Community (AEC) was formed to further promote socio-economic development and integration in Africa.
The process to form the AU began in 1999, aiming to modernise the structure in sync with global political and socio-economic developments.
The AU’s Constitutive Act was adopted in 2000 and became effective in 2001, marking the beginning of a transitional period.
In 2002, the AU officially replaced the OAU. Unlike the OAU, at the heart of the AU’s objectives and guiding principles are the promotion of democratic principles, popular participation, good governance, human rights protection, and the organisation’s ability to respond to grave human rights violations.

OAU

The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was set up on May 25, 1963. Its main focus was on diplomacy, resolving conflicts, and conducting economic and communication research.
It operated through the “Africa group” at the United Nations (UN) and helped African states work together as part of the Group of 77, a collective of developing nations within the UN Conference on Trade and Development.
The OAU held annual meetings of heads of state and government. A council of ministers, consisting of the foreign ministers of member states, made policy decisions in between these meetings.
The OAU successfully mediated a number of border disputes, including those between Algeria and Morocco from 1963 to 1964 and Kenya and Somalia from 1965 to 1967.
It closely monitored the situation in South Africa and pushed for international economic sanctions against South Africa as long as apartheid was in effect.
In 1993, the OAU set up a mechanism for peacemaking and peacekeeping in Africa.
In 1998, it sponsored an international panel, led by former Botswanan president Ketumile Masire, to investigate the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The panel’s report was published in 2000.

African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) was suggested to replace the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 2000, a proposal led by Libyan leader Colonel Muammar al-Qaddafi.
The AU was designed to have more economic focus, similar to the European Union, and includes a central bank, a court of justice, and an all-Africa parliament.
The AU officially replaced the OAU in 2002, after a transition period.

The AU’s objectives differ greatly from its predecessor. They include:

Promoting democratic principles and institutions
Encouraging popular participation and good governance
Advocating for and protecting human and peoples’ rights
The ability to act in cases of severe human rights violations or upon a member state’s request.

African Union Commission: Interactions With Civil Society And Key Challenges

Civil society and governments often disagree within the African Union Commission.
Many African countries are reducing civil society’s operational space.
Increasingly, governments are introducing laws that curtail civil society activities and citizens’ rights.
The AU has intervened diplomatically in conflicts in countries such as Libya, Central African Republic, and Burkina Faso.
There have been responses to unconstitutional changes of government in countries like Guinea and Sudan. But the AU’s effectiveness in these matters is often debated.
A promising development is the AU’s initiative to gather opinions from African civil society. They aim to understand its potential role in political and socio-economic development, human welfare, governance, peace, and security in alignment with the African Union Agenda 2063.

The African Union’s Initiatives And Collaborations

The African Union (AU) has adopted progressive initiatives, such as declaring 2018 as the “African Anti-Corruption Year.”
This anti-corruption initiative was spearheaded by the AU Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC).
The AU worked with its members, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) along with citizens to tackle corruption.
The AU also collaborates with other regional institutions to enhance peace and security in Africa.
In February 2020, the European Union (EU) committed to aiding the AU’s partnership with CSOs to address new security challenges in Africa.

Key Accomplishments Of The African Union (AU)

The AU has successfully executed numerous peacekeeping missions across Africa. These missions have assisted many African nations in addressing terrorism issues, including the Sahel and northern Mozambique.
A number of countries have avoided violence due to AU’s interventions – these include Burundi, Comoros, Darfur, the Central African Republic, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Mali.
The AU’s diplomatic endeavours have resolved many conflicts on the continent. For instance, it mediated a peace agreement in South Africa between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) following two years of combat.
A significant achievement of the AU is the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in 2021. This trade agreement, signed by 54 member nations, is the most extensive free trade area established since the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1994.
AfCFTA’s mission is to amplify intra-African trade by promoting deeper trade liberalisation and improved regulatory coordination. As projected by the World Bank, AfCFTA will raise Africa’s income by $450 billion by 2035 and boost intra-African exports by over 81%.

Challenges Faced By The African Union (AU)

The AU has struggled with preventing coups in Africa.
Over 200 coups have occurred since the 1960s.
Recent examples include Gabon and Niger.
Military intervention is not typically employed by the AU to quell these coups.
The AU mainly uses diplomatic pressure, like membership suspension.
The AU also faces financial difficulties.
Many member countries fail to pay their dues.
This lack of funding forces the AU to rely on external sources, compromising its independence.

AU’s G20 Membership: Implications And Opportunities

The African Union’s (AU) recent inclusion in the G20 could offer significant advantages. Fadhel Kaboub, an economics professor and head of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity, believes this is a chance for the AU to redefine global trade, finance, and investment norms.
Kenya’s President, William Ruto, sees this as an opportunity for Africa to voice its interests and perspectives within the influential G20 group.
The African Union’s (AU) induction into the G20 strengthens the financial power of the African continent. Previously, only the Republic of South Africa represented it.
This move enhances the legitimacy of the G20, making it more inclusive. The forum effectively evolves into G21 or perhaps G20+.
More African nations, such as Nigeria and Egypt, may look to join the G20 in the future.
AU’s development plans, Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063, aim for inclusive and sustainable socio-economic growth over the next 50 years. These will now be included in G20 discussions.
This inclusion offers other countries, including India, the chance to engage with the tariff and intellectual property rights of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA).
This development could counteract China’s attempts to exploit Africa as its ‘area of influence’ through financial loans.

OAU