The African Union and the quest for peace and security in Africa: 2002-2012
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Date
2015-04-17
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University of Ghana
Abstract
A significant challenge that confronted the Organisation of African
Unity (OAU) throughout its establishment was the successful management
of intra-state conflicts. The OAU was criticised for its lack of
intervention in these conflicts due to its Charter provision of non-interference
in the internal affairs of member states. The launch of the
African Union in 2002 signalled a new era in the quest for peace and
security in Africa. The AU initiated important steps towards the
creation of an African Peace and Security Architecture for the management
and maintenance of conflicts. The AU's Constitutive Act further
gives the right of intervention in the internal affairs of members to the
Union. Since its establishment, the AU has lunched military and
diplomatic operations in Burundi, Sudan, Somalia, Comoros, Togo,
Ivory Coast, Niger, Madagascar, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Libya among
others. The main objective of this study is to assess the African Union's
management of the African Peace and Security Architecture since its
formation to see what has been achieved via interventions and what
remains problematic in the quest for peace and security in Africa. The
study hypothesised that although the African Union's doctrine of non-indifference
has galvanized its young institutions of peace and
security into making significant strides in the conduct of peace
operations on the continent, it has had very limited effect on the
success of interventions. The research findings noted that whiles the
AU has demonstrated commitment to address conflicts in Africa; it
faces severe capacity constraints that does not auger well for the
Union's future in peace and security
Description
School of social sciences colloquium
Keywords
Organisation of African Unity (OAU), internal affairs, peace, security