The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa
The African Union has been a major factor in establishing peace, security and development in Africa. Today, however, the intranational body is struggling in the midst of a perceived dissipating appetite for supporting continental institutions. Previously seen as the panacea to Africa's continuing problems with violence and corruption in society, under the slogan "African Solutions to African Problems", the African Union, this book argues, seems to have run its course.
Recognizing that the measured successes in political emancipation which have been recorded across the African continent do not seem to have translated into economic and social gains for its 1.2 billion citizens, the AU adopted a new development framework dubbed "Agenda 2063". The framework calls on African leaders to rediscover the ‘Pan African' spirit and to create the ‘Africa Africans want'. In practice this means a new focus and engagement with the African Diaspora, tapping into their strong track-record in economic development. As this book shows however, there remain deep differences over the meaning, timing and sequencing of pan-African integration. Indeed, different member states have different understandings of the role of the African Union itself.
This essential handbook, from one of the leading research institutions on the continent, seeks to uncover what some of those understandings are and why the unification project has remained so elusive.

1130457464
The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa
The African Union has been a major factor in establishing peace, security and development in Africa. Today, however, the intranational body is struggling in the midst of a perceived dissipating appetite for supporting continental institutions. Previously seen as the panacea to Africa's continuing problems with violence and corruption in society, under the slogan "African Solutions to African Problems", the African Union, this book argues, seems to have run its course.
Recognizing that the measured successes in political emancipation which have been recorded across the African continent do not seem to have translated into economic and social gains for its 1.2 billion citizens, the AU adopted a new development framework dubbed "Agenda 2063". The framework calls on African leaders to rediscover the ‘Pan African' spirit and to create the ‘Africa Africans want'. In practice this means a new focus and engagement with the African Diaspora, tapping into their strong track-record in economic development. As this book shows however, there remain deep differences over the meaning, timing and sequencing of pan-African integration. Indeed, different member states have different understandings of the role of the African Union itself.
This essential handbook, from one of the leading research institutions on the continent, seeks to uncover what some of those understandings are and why the unification project has remained so elusive.

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The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa

The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa

The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa

The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa

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Overview

The African Union has been a major factor in establishing peace, security and development in Africa. Today, however, the intranational body is struggling in the midst of a perceived dissipating appetite for supporting continental institutions. Previously seen as the panacea to Africa's continuing problems with violence and corruption in society, under the slogan "African Solutions to African Problems", the African Union, this book argues, seems to have run its course.
Recognizing that the measured successes in political emancipation which have been recorded across the African continent do not seem to have translated into economic and social gains for its 1.2 billion citizens, the AU adopted a new development framework dubbed "Agenda 2063". The framework calls on African leaders to rediscover the ‘Pan African' spirit and to create the ‘Africa Africans want'. In practice this means a new focus and engagement with the African Diaspora, tapping into their strong track-record in economic development. As this book shows however, there remain deep differences over the meaning, timing and sequencing of pan-African integration. Indeed, different member states have different understandings of the role of the African Union itself.
This essential handbook, from one of the leading research institutions on the continent, seeks to uncover what some of those understandings are and why the unification project has remained so elusive.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781788311502
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 01/30/2018
Series: International Library of African Studies
Edition description: Reprint
Pages: 368
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.73(d)

About the Author

Tim Murithi is professor extraordinary of African studies at the Centre for African Studies, University of Free State, South Africa; and head of justice and reconciliation in the Africa Programme at the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Cape Town. He was previously Claude Ake visiting professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University and Nordic Africa Institute, Sweden. He has over 23 years of experience in peace, security, governance, transitional justice, and development in Africa, and has held posts at the Department of Peace Studies, University of Bradford, United Kingdom; the Institute for Security Studies, Addis Ababa; the Centre for Conflict Resolution, University of Cape Town; and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), Geneva, Switzerland. He has served as an adviser/consultant to the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID), and German GiZ. He is on the international advisory boards of the Jourbanal of Peacebuilding and Development, the African Jourbanal of Conflict Resolution, and African Peace and Conflict Jourbanal, and the jourbanal Peacebuilding. He has authored over 85 jourbanal articles, book chapters, and policy papers, and is author and editor of nine books, including author of The African Union: Pan-Africanism, Peacebuilding, and Development (2005) and The Ethics of Peacebuilding (2009); co-editor of Zimbabwe in Transition: A View from Within (2011) and The Politics of Transitional Justice in the Great Lakes Region of Africa (2016); and editor of The Routledge Handbook of Africa's International Relations (2014).

Tony Karbo is executive director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Cape Town, South Africa. Previously, Dr Karbo served as director of the Karamoja Cluster Project (KCP) and managing editor of the Africa Peace and Conflict Jourbanal at the University for Peace, Africa Programme. As part of its mandate in the Africa Programme of the UN Mandated University for Peace, Dr Karbo taught in universities across the Great Lakes region, the Horn of Africa, and in Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa. He is a former senior lecturer at the Institute of Peace, Leadership, and Governance (IPLG) at Africa University in Zimbabwe. Dr Karbo has worked extensively in Africa with numerous organisations working in conflict zones, facilitating training in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and in monitoring and evaluating election processes and programmes. Dr Karbo served as the Southern and Eastern Africa representative for the Institute of Multi-Track Diplomacy (IMTD), a peacebuilding organisation based in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Jourbanal of Peacebuilding and Development and an associate director and trainer of the South-North Center for Peacebuilding and Development. Dr Karbo holds a master's degree and doctorate from the School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, Virginia.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations xii

List of Abbreviations xiii

List of Contributors xviii

Acknowledgements xxv

Introduction: The African Union: A Decade and a Half Later 1

Pan-Africanism and a Global Order in Transition 3

The African Union and the Quest for Improved Governance, Security and Development 5

Africa and its External Partners 8

Structure of the Book 9

Part I Pan-Africanism: From the OAU to the AU

1 The African Union and the Renaissance of Pan-Africanism 15

The Concepts of Pan-Africanism 15

The Case for Pan-Africanism 17

The OAU and Pan-Africanism 17

The Case for 'New' Pan-Africanism and the African Union 20

Breaking with the Past 22

Challenges 26

The Way Forward 28

Conclusion 30

2 Pan-Africanism and the African Diaspora 37

General Movements of Pan-Africanism 43

3 The Africa Group at the United Nations: Pan-Africanism on the Retreat 57

Pan-African Origins of the Africa Group 58

Mandate and Composition of the Africa Group 59

Role of the African Union and its Relationship with the Africa Group 61

Challenges and Achievements of the Africa Group 62

Internal Challenges of the Africa Group 67

Enhancing the Working Relationship Between the African Union and the United Nationals 69

Conclusion 72

Part II Governance, Security and Development

4 The Evolving African Governance Architecture 77

Conception/Theory of Governance in Africa 80

Historical Context 85

The African Governance Architecture (AGA): Origins and Evolution 89

Operationalisation of the African Governance Architecture 92

Synergy Between the African Governance and Peace and Security Architectures 96

Complementarity Between the AGA and NEPAD 99

Conclusion 103

5 The African Union: Regional and Global Challenges 109

Mission of the African Union 110

Institutions of the African Union 112

The AU Commission 113

Finances of the African Union 117

What Capacities for the AU Comission? 117

Capacities Required for the AU Commission to Deliver More Effectively on the AU Mission 124

Appendix 1 Functions of the AU Commission 127

Appendix 2 Functions of the AU Commission Chairperson 130

6 The African Peer Review Mechanism 135

Establishment of the APRM 136

The APRM Process 137

Key Strengths 140

Key Challenges 142

Recent Developments 147

Conclusion 147

7 The AU's Peace and Security Architecture: The African Standby Force 149

Context 150

The African Peace and Security Architecture 153

Pillars of the African Peace and Security Architecture 155

The African Standby Force 164

Operationalisation of the ASF 167

Challenges 169

Opportunities 173

Conclusion 175

8 The African Union's Socio-Economic Challenges 183

The Status of Socio-Economic Challenges in Africa 184

Africa's Strategies for Socio-Economic Transformation 189

The Four Major Socio-Economic Policy Frameworks 191

Contradictions and Limitations of Africa's Socio-Economic Strategies 196

Key Recommendations 198

Conclusion 201

9 The African Union and its Relations with Sub-Regional Economic Communities 205

AU-REC Relations in Historical Context 206

The AU and the RECs on Economic Integration in Africa 208

The AU and the RECs on Peace and Security in Africa 216

Conclusion 228

Part III The AU's Potential Hegemons and External Actors

10 Caught Between Pan-African Solidarism and Realist Developmentalism? South Africa's Pivotal Role in African Union 235

Continental Policy Context 236

Mandela and Africa as Foreign Policy Priority 237

Mbeki's 'Africa First': Developmental Democratic Peace Doctrine 241

The Zuma Government, the AU, and 'African Advancement' 249

Nkosazana-Dlamini's Ascendancy to AU Commission Chair, and Foreign Policy 255

Building Credibility Though Agenda 2063 257

Conclusion 259

11 The African Union and the United Nations: Crafting an International Partnership in the Field of Peace and Security 265

Policies, Institutions and Routines 266

Peacekeeping Missions 268

Finance and Capacity Building 270

Contested Issues 272

Conclusion 273

12 The African Union-China Partnership: Prospects and Challenges 283

From Bandung to FOCAC: A Historical Background 284

China's Instrumentalisation of Strategic Partnerships 289

Assessing Africa's Strategic Partnerships with China 290

Sino-AU Peace and Security Initiatives: An Appraisal 291

Comparing Chinese and African Union Strategies of Engagement 292

Recommendations to Improve Africa's Relationship with China 298

Conclusion 300

Acknowledgements 301

Conclusion: The African Union in Transition: Sustaining the Momentum 303

Africa's Leadership Deficit 304

Addressing the Limitations of the AU's Internal Processes 306

The African Union at 15 Years: Sustaining Momentum for Change 307

Select Bibliography 311

Index 315

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