African Union and the Challenges of Underdevelopment in Contemporary Africa

Abstract

Despite the timely creation of the African Union as a continental front towards alleviating the multifaceted sufferings of Africans and poster an avenue for a concerted effort towards achieving developmental goals, the continent remains cocooned to almost all indices of underdevelopment. The transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) that was considered a toothless bulldog that lacks the capacity to catapult the continent to greatness to form the more capable African Union fashioned in line with European Union, was expected to institutionalize systemic reforms that will enable giant strides to be achieved – yet the outcome leaves much to be desired. This research work utilizes documentary analysis to use the objectives of establishing OAU and the reasons for transforming it to AU as yardstick for measuring the achievements of the continental organization. The outcome of the study reveals that the AU has institutionalized and empowered relevant commissions, signed new charters and resolutions that empowered those institutions to achieve tremendous feat in the discharge of their responsibilities such as the mobilization of armies for the settlement of dispute in Burundi and placement of weapons and travel embargo on Eritrea. However, the Union stills faces problems ranging from multipolar ideological leanings of its member states to its ability to create a strong Intra African alliances and friendships capable of lessening dependence on former colonial powers. The paper recommends inter alia, that African resources should be adequately used to combat health challenges, ecological challenges and infrastructural inadequacies so that Africa will be a better place for all Africans; friends of Africa and posterity.