The African Union between texts and reality

The successor to the AUO, the African Union has the ambition of reviving and consolidating the economical and political integration project planned in 1963. In this perspective, the new organisation constitutive Act, defined in the Syrte Declaration (Lybia) on September 9th, 1999, has set objectives and institutional limits going farther than the AUO diplomatic approach. The changes especially concern bodies: for instance, a Commission is responsible for the dynamics of unity; the creation of a Peace and Security Council displays the intention to suppress wars and to have peace-keeping instruments, as well as to promote a common defence policy. Nevertheless, the announced break with the turmoil in the AUO has to face the reality of an Africa still dependent on the controlled State sovereignty principle. Africa faces difficulties, especially financial ones, which forces it to delay the enforcement of common policies. – Summary AFRI-2004

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