African Union's Response to Peace And Security in Africa: Gains, Gaps and Directions for the Future

Abstract

The transformation of the erstwhile Organization of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU) is a marked shift in the continents' quest for a peaceful continent that is free of the debilitating effects of the myriad of conflicts that have bedevilled it. The Constitutive Act of the AU and its Security Council have carefully crafted strategies to ensure effective conflict prevention and management (where there is a breach) anchored in the peace and security architecture of the organization. Implementing these ideals however is a different issue. This paper examines the, interventions of the AU in response to the security challenges in Africa and concludes that although the organization has made some gains in its efforts to ensure peace and security on the continent,there still remains gaps that must be addressed to translate the lofty documents into practical results that the people can appreciate.