Free Essay: Challenges Facing African Union
African as a continent faces an array of challenges. From corruption to poor democracy, the continent grapples with issues left right and center. As a result, the African Union, the body that unites all the nations of the continent equally dances to the same tune of music. Top on the list are the endless civil wars in different parts of the continent. For example, AU is tasked with finding a lasting solution to end bloodletting in South Sudan.
S. Sudan, the youngest nation in the world is on the break of falling apart because of war between government forces and rebels allied to former Vice President, Riek Machar. In a bid to end the bloodbath, several African Union nations remain committed to stabilizing S. Sudan. Countries like Uganda and Kenya have been in the forefront in offering assistance to the troubled state.
Sudan is not the only country grappling with civil war. From Mali to Somalia, most of these nations are yet to realize peace, decades after they got independent. Mali is a politically divided nation following a coup that took place in March 2012 in Bamako. Several rebel groups have emerged seeking to take control of the nation. This remains a cause of headache for AU. Another crisis on the AU’s full plate is the escalating fighting in DRC.
In a recent summit in Ethiopia, member states agreed to send forces to the war torn Central Africana State to restore peace. In past years, some factions have accused Rwanda of supporting a revolution by DRC troops. However, President Kabila vehemently denied the claim. The terms laid down by M23 also remain a challenge in finding a solution, as they insist on only holding talks with DRC government in Kinshasa.
Africa Union therefore faces post-colonial challenges, which are affecting most of its member states. As a result, the continent can handle enjoy democracy, cross-border unity and genuine independence. A good example is the case of Somalia, where neighboring countries like Kenya cannot find peace because of endless war. There is also the presence of other nations allied to America in Somalia, which are fighting Al-Shabaab against taking over the country’s leadership.
Another major challenge facing AU is interference from external forces led by Americans. Almost every conflict in Africa today involves Western countries or have to be part of finding solutions, which some experts consider not to be genuine. For example, the U.S supported AMISOM to for their peacekeeping mission in Somalia. For this reason, Al Shabaab and other movements in Somalia have refused to acknowledge AMISOM because of U.S. backing. Security agencies argue that it might be hard for AU to find a lasting solution in Somalia as long American are supporting the mission.
It is important to note that most of the challenges facing the AU are highly intertwined and complex to solve. For example, Africa is vulnerable to Western manipulation and interference of their internal affairs because of various reasons like poverty. In other words, AU always finds itself between a rock and a hard place, because of some hapless situations. America and Europe fund numerous economic development projects, which Africans cannot afford to let go for the sake of AU’s strengthening.
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Online Resources:
http://www.workers.org/articles/2012/07/20/african-union-summit-faces-challenges/
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/expertcomment/the_african_union/