Much has been written about the decision by certain African countries to send out a peace mission to Ukraine in May. Reporters, however, failed at the time to pick up on one notable point: that the initiative was not taken within the framework of the African Union (AU). This is yet another illustration of the fact that this organisation is struggling to establish itself on the international stage.
The institution, which replaced the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002 and brings together the continent’s 55 states, is based on the model of the European Union (EU). Headquartered in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, the AU’s main aims are to “promote peace, security and stability on the continent”, and to develop “common policies on trade, defence and external relations”. However, it has been grappling with its financial reliance on international partners for a number of years, which has called its independence into question.
The AU is facing another difficulty relating to its leadership: absorbed by internal and national problems, its successive chairpersons often neglect pan-Africanist initiatives.
