We landed here from the ‘World Government’ adventure in Chapter 13 and the increasing move towards global federalism. The African Union (often shortened to the A.U.) is currently made up of 54 African member states (the only state not a full member is Morocco, although as at January 2015 the Central African Republic remains suspended). The A.U came into effect in July 2002, replacing predecessor body the Organisation of African Unity (O.A.U.) and its establishment is seen as a significant move towards an eventual full union of African states.
The genesis of the A.U emerged gradually from the first meeting of the Pan-African Congress in 1945, to the establishment of the Union of African States in the 1960s (the continent’s first attempt at confederation) and then the Organisation of African Unity in 1963 and the African Economic Community in 1981. Critics of the original O.A.U. dubbed it “the Dictators Club”, arguing that African political leaders in general did little to protect the rights of their citizens. The idea for a full African Union was revived in the 1990s, leading to the African Union establishment declaration in 1999, adoption of the Constitutive Act in 2000, establishment of economic development programme the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) in 2001 and finally the launch of the African Union itself in 2002.
The A.U.’s Objectives include:
• Greater unity and solidarity between African countries;
• Accelerating the political and social-economic integration of the continent;
• Defending the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of its Member States;
• Promoting and defending common African positions while taking account of international instruments such as the United Nations Charter and Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
• Promoting and protecting the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
• Promoting peace, security, and stability on the continent;
• Promoting democratic principles and institutions, popular participation and good governance;
• Promoting sustainable development and the integration of African economies;
• Promoting co-operation in all fields of human activity to raise African living standards;
• Work with international partners to eradicate preventable diseases and promote good health.
The A.U has a representative body, the Pan African Parliament comprised of 265 members elected by the state’s national parliaments. Decisions are made by the A.U. Assembly, an annual meeting of the heads of state and government of member states, although the Assembly is gradually devolving more and more decision-making to the Parliament. The A.U. co-ordinating secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based out of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
A number of African states have expressed a desire to move towards a ‘United States of Africa’ model with a common A.U Army but there is not yet consensus on this aim. The A.U’s first military intervention in a member state saw the deployment of peacekeepers from South Africa, Ethiopia and Mozambique to Burundi in 2003. The A.U’s Peace and Security Council was established in 2004 to facilitate collective security and timely and effective response to conflict and crisis situations in Africa, in addition to post-conflict peace-building. A.U troops have subsequently been deployed to Somalia in 2007 and to Sudan for peacekeeping in the Darfur Conflict – though they ultimately handed over to the United Nations in 2008. Additionally, the A.U tried to mediate the early stages of the 2011 Libyan Civil War before the NATO-led military intervention cut those attempts off. Issues like these have caused some friction between the A.U and other international bodies. The A.U has continued to work towards establishing a permanent peacekeeping force for regional conflicts, though lack of funds, personnel and expertise has hindered those efforts.
Other bodies of the A.U. include the African Court of Justice which came into force in 2009. There are plans to establish an African Central Bank and African Monetary Fund with a common currency (the Afro) eventually planned to continue the ongoing integration policies of the eight Regional Economic Communities. The A.U is a permanent observer at the United Nations and maintains special diplomatic relations with the U.S and the E.U.
The emblem of the A.U features the silhouette of Africa drawn without borders – an aspirational symbol. The geography of the A.U covers the entirety of the African continent plus several off-shore islands, most significantly Madagascar, encompassing everything from the world’s largest hot desert (the Sahara), to huge jungles and savannahs, to the world’s longest river (the Nile). Coherent oversight and governance of such a vast expanse is a huge undertaking, so it’s perhaps no surprise that progress has been slow. The A.U has called for the full participation of the African Diaspora (people of African origin now living elsewhere) to contribute to building the effectiveness of the A.U and to developing the continent.
Major issues currently facing the A.U (in addition to confronting undemocratic regimes and mediating civil wars) include combating the AIDS/HIV epidemic, improving education standards, improving standards of living, famine, drought and ecological sustainability. It’s easy to focus on ongoing disputes and military conflicts as the main troubles facing the continent, but the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS is in many ways the most serious threat facing Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa is by far the most affected area in the world and the infection has now claimed the lives of millions. More than 20% of sexually active adults in southern Africa may now be infected – South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia and Zambia have all seen decreasing life expectancies. This is a threat that will not go away any time soon and the eyes of the world must not look away.
To learn more about the great continent itself, jump to Chapter 72: Africa – content to follow
To learn more about the (often forced) movement of the African people out of their homeland and the status of Africans around the world today, jump to Chapter 73: African Diaspora – content to follow
To learn more about the scourge of HIV/AIDS, both in Africa and around the world, jump to Chapter 74: HIV/AIDS – content to follow
