Reforming the African Union Path to African Ownership

Abstract

20 years marks the constitutive act of the African Union. However Africa’s progress towards political and economic integration remains elusive. This challenge combined with the persistence of instability and new forms of insecurity on the continent have been partially attributed to the incompetence and futility of the AU even by her own members. One has to admit that the AU has been plagued with a number of challenges, the most pressing being a lack of financial autonomy making it unable to address some of African’s protracted civil conflicts in different parts of Africa. The reliance on international partners for the provision of funding undermined the AU’s legitimacy and leadership in African’s affairs. It is expected the reform will likely facilitate the realization of AU’s Agenda 2063 which seeks to achieve an integrated prosperous and peaceful Africa driven by its citizen and representing a dynamic force in the international arena.