AU’s 20th anniversary brings mixed feelings on continental legacy

Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, delivers a speech during the African Union (AU) summit at the Palais des Congres in Niamey, on July 7, 2019 [Issouf Sanogo/AFP]

On July 9, the African Union (AU) turned 20 – and the debate about its effectiveness so far is on the table once again.

Established in 2002 with 53 African nations as members, the AU became the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which had existed since 1963. While the OAU concentrated its efforts primarily on decolonisation and the establishment of diplomatic relations between members, the AU was founded to advance the continent’s economic development and entrench lasting peace.