lost illusions

Do Africans still believe in the African Union?

In depth
This article is part of the dossier: Are Africans losing faith in the AU?

By François Soudan
Posted on Tuesday, 2 August 2022 14:18, updated on Tuesday, 11 October 2022 11:15

Muammar Gaddafi's speech at the launch of the African Union in Durban on 9 July 2002. MONTAGE JA: ALEXANDER JOE/AFP

At 20 years old, the African Union is still seen by Africans as ineffective and unreliable. This stems from a lack of political will from its heads of state, who are reluctant to bolster the organisation's power, which is the only way to re-establish a bond of trust with the continent's populations.

This is part 1 of a 4-part series

Kings Park Stadium in Durban, 9 July 2002. In what was the last summit of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the first of the African Union (AU), the continent’s heads of state turned out in droves amidst a cacophony of vuvuzelas, military music and Zulu dances.

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