Constitutive Act of the African Union

Impact

Since its inception, the AU has faced numerous challenges. Chief among them have been disease, famine, civil war, and poverty and low standards of living. The AU has addressed political unrest in Zimbabwe, with some members calling for the ouster of that nation because of the strong-arm tactics and flagrant human rights abuses of its president, Robert Mugabe. After the death of Togo's president in 2005, the AU considered the accession of his son, Faure Gnassingbé, to the presidency a military coup and forced the country to hold elections. Similarly, the AU has had to deal with regime change in Mauritania. It suspended that nation after a military coup in 2005, forcing the new regime to hold elections. Those elections were held in 2007, but in 2008 yet another military coup took place. Once again Mauritania was suspended, but the suspension and AU sanctions were lifted in July 2009 on the advent of new presidential elections.

The AU has been active in peacekeeping missions, particularly after the formation of the AU's Peace and Security Council in December 2003. One of the most critical areas has been Darfur, a region in western Sudan torn by ethnic conflict and genocide since 2003. The AU initially sent in a peacekeeping force of a mere 150 troops, but as the bloodiness of the conflict became more apparent, that number was increased to about seven thousand. The peacekeeping force has thus far been ineffective, since the troops, mainly from Rwanda and Nigeria, have lacked funds, equipment, and training. The AU Mission in Sudan was sustained only with the help of donations from member states in 2005 and a $173 million grant from the United States in 2006. Despite these efforts, the violence has continued. The International Criminal Court indicted Sudan's leader, Omar al-Bashir, for war crimes, but the AU refused to recognize the court's arrest warrant. Nevertheless, the AU has continued to maintain its peacekeeping mission in Darfur in conjunction with United Nations peacekeeping forces—an unprecedented coalition of UN forces with a regional force.

Another hot spot in Africa has been Somalia. Beginning in the early 1990s, Somalia essentially had no functioning government, as the nation was wracked by civil war. On January 19, 2007, the AU's Peace and Security Council, with the backing of the United Nations Security Council, implemented the African Union Mission to Somalia. This mission eventually dispatched some eight thousand troops whose purpose was to impose stable governmental structures and deliver humanitarian aid. Besides efforts in Sudan and Somalia, other AU peacekeeping missions have been complicated by tribal and national tensions that have prevented troops from working together effectively. Meanwhile, the continent continues to be ravaged by conflict; nations such as Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone accuse one another of supporting rebel movements. Between 2020 and 2023, there were coups in numerous nations, including Mali, Chad, Sudan, Niger, Gambon, and Sierra Leone.

African economic progress has been slow in coming. The AU ranks as the world's eleventh-largest economy. Africa accounts for only about 2 percent of the world's trade. In 2021, 54 of the 55 members signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, with the goal of creating a single market, central bank, and a common currency.