Just remember when you are over the hill, you begin to pick up speed Charles M. Schulz The African Union (AU) turned 50 on 23rd May 2013. In a person’s life, that’s a major milestone. Generally at this age, some are either facing a middle-life crisis or looking back happily at their busy life’s accomplishments, hoping for a peaceful future, but that can be sobering and liberating. Sobering because you suddenly realise that there’s a finite span to accomplish all what you want. Liberating because you make the choice to drop non-essential concerns and to ...
The 21st African Union (AU) Summit, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was anchored by the theme Pan Africanism and the African Renaissance. It incorporated the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, which is now the African Union. The new spirit of Pan-Africanism is to create a continent free from poverty and conflict that advances African narratives of opportunities, progress and development. A Solemn Declaration of the 50th Anniversary of the OAU/AU was adopted by the African Union Heads of State and Government on 26 ...
On May 25 this year, the African Union celebrates its golden jubilee anniversary in Addis Ababa. The event will be marked by numerous milestones, and is under the theme of Pan Africanism and African Renaissance. Beyond the confetti, however, there is a desire for the next 50 years to be sung to a better tune: one that is based on improved socio-economic opportunities, peace and political stability on the continent. One that builds upon constructive and strategic partnerships with old partners and newcomers that match the interests and the needs of the continent. The African Union ...
When former South African President Thabo Mbeki brought back the notion of an African Renaissance to the African political circles in the late 1990s, the continent was at a different place than it is today. It was still suffering from decades of civil wars, dictatorships, bad governance, and socio-economic hardship. Africa was the ‘hopeless continent’. These were the issues the forefathers of the ‘African Renaissance’ sought to tackle when they set out to launch a plethora of new initiatives aimed at promoting popular participation and good governance, peace and security, ensuring the economic take off of ...
With the new African Union Commission (AUC) set to take office in a matter of days, many are curious to see how it will differ from the previous one. In this sense it crucial to looking at who the Commissioners will be. At first sight, one cannot overlook the elements of continuity with the previous AUC led by Jean Ping: Erastus Mwencha (Kenya) has been confirmed as Deputy Chairperson, and so were the Commissioners Elham Mahmoud (Egypt) in her position as for Infrastructure and Energy, Ramtane Lamamra (Algeria) for Peace and Security and Rhoda Peace ...
The new African Union Commission (AUC) College will assume office on Monday 15 October. The election of the Chairperson of the Commission raised hope that there is renewed interest in the organisation, especially from its 54 African member states. Never has an election of the continental leadership been this tightly contested leading observers to suggest that they are a turning point in the history of the Union: from now on ,meritocracy will take precedence over diplomacy and unwritten rules, such as regional quota for the allocation of posts, or that the chairmanship cannot be assumed ...
African leaders from more than 50 countries met on 15 and 16 July for the African Union summit at the impressive Chinese-funded AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. Boosting intra-African trade was the key theme of the summit, but the election of the AU Commission (AUC) Chairperson and its new top officials dominated the largest part of the meeting. Benin’s President Yayi Boni, currently holding the rotating presidency of the African Union, had the firm intention to break the stalemate that has been dragging on since January when AU member states could not reach agreement over ...
This study from the African Futures Project, a collaboration between the pan-African Institute for Security Studies and the Frederick S Pardee Center for International Futures seeks to provide a glimpse of where change could take the Africa by 2050. It takes a macro and long-term view and presents the base case (or business as usual) development of the continent across the interaction of key global systems. It is, however, not as attentive to trends at the micro-level that can eventually have broad impact.
