A Comparison of the Organization of African Unity (Oau) and African Union (Au) Management of Conflicts in the Horn of Africa

Abstract

Many of the nations of Africa have struggled with violence since their independence from colonial powers. The formation of an intercontinental body the Organization of African Unity did little to reduce the number or severity of the conflicts in the continent. The failure of this organization to maintain peace was due in large part to normative boundaries that prevented it from managing internal conflict of its member nations. The Organization of African Unity was dissolved in favour of a new organization, the African Union, in 2002. The mandate of African Union is much more proactive than that of its predecessor with regard to intervention in internal conflicts. Additionally, some of structural and practical weaknesses of the Organization of African Unity have been addressed in the African Union. Consequently this study aims at comparing conflict management by OAU and AU in the Horn of Africa in order to establish whether the change has resulted in a more effective management. This paper argues that OAU was a Cold War creation and thus unsuited for international challenges and security threats of the post-Cold War era. Although its success lay in the liberation of the continent from colonial rule, the organization was averse to internal conflicts and therefore performed dismally. It contents that the lifting of the Cold War overlay and exacerbation of internal conflicts rendered OAU ineffective therefore justifying the establishment of AU. It posits that although AU has made normative shifts from that of OAU, it has not been successful as expected in managing conflicts because of the type of conflicts and incomplete structures. The study asserts that once AU is fully operational and the challenges addressed, it will certainly be more effective