Historical Inquiry into Problems Faced by African Union in Resolving Conflict among Member Nations
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Central Asian Studies
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Since the transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union (AU) in 2002, there was apparent optimism that myriad of African’s security problems would be over. This optimism appears to have been elusive as there are mixed feeling concerning the success of the body in this regard. The study examined the extent to which the African Union with its peace and Security Council has been able to achieve its set objectives. The study employed historical and qualitative research methods and relied on secondary data. The data gathered were analyzed thematically, using the Somali, Darfur, Libyan and Mali crises. From the analysis, it was discovered that the body has not actually performed creditably well due to a number of challenges. Particularly lack of political will and unity among member states, including acute inadequacy of resources for managing the continent’s peace support activities. These problems were observed in the era of OAU and are still prevailing in African Union. Based on the findings of the study, the study recommend among others that member states should first and foremost develop the political will to enhance commitment, unite and develop a well-coordinated strategy with minimal cost in managing conflict in the region.
Keywords
African Union, Conflict Resolution, Political will, Shared Values