African Union الاتحاد الأفريقي (Arabic)Union africaine (French)União Africana (Portuguese)Unión Africana (Spanish)Umoja wa Afrika (Swahili)
Flag Emblem
Anthem Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together [1]
Administrative Centre		Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Working languages		Arabic English Spanish French Portuguese Swahili
Membership		53 African states
Leaders
-	Chairman	Jakaya Kikwete
-	Commission Chairperson	Jean Ping
Establishment
-	as the OAU	May 25, 1963
-	as the African Union	July 9, 2002
Area
-	Total	29,757,900 km² (1st1) 11,489,589 sq mi
Population
-	2005 estimate	850 million
-	Density	25. The flag of the African Union is composed of a broad green horizontal stripe at the top followed by a narrow band of gold. The Emblem of the African Union features palm leaves shooting up on either side of the outer circle symbolising Peace. "Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together" is the Anthem of the African Union. Addis Ababa (sometimes spelled Addis Abeba, the spelling used by the official Ethiopian Mapping Authority Amharic NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. Swahili (called Kiswahili in the language itself is the First language of the Swahili people (Waswahili who inhabit several large stretches The Chairperson of the African Union is chosen by the Assembly of the African Union, which consists of the heads of state of member countries to serve a one-year President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born October 7 1950) is a Tanzanian politician and current President of the United Republic of Tanzania The Commission of the African Union serves as the AU's administrative branch and as a secretariat of the Pan African Parliament Jean Ping (born November 24, 1942) is a Gabonese diplomat and politician who is currently the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union The Organisation of African Unity ( OAU) or Organisation de l'Unité Africaine ( OUA) was established on 25 May 1963. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare sizes of different Areas here is a list of areas between 10 million km² and 100 million km² This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume 7/km² (177th1) 66. List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² 6/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2003 estimate
-	Total	US$ 1. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 515 Trillion (16th1)
-	Per capita	$1,896
GDP (nominal)		2003 estimate
-	Total	$514 billion
-	Per capita	$643
Time zone		(UTC-1 to +4)
1	If the African Union considered as a single entity. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by'

The African Union (abbreviated AU in English, and UA in its other working languages) is an intergovernmental organization consisting of 53 African nations. Economy See also Economy of the African Union The combined states of the African Union constitute the world's 17th largest economy with a nominal See also African Economic Community, Economy of Africa The combined states of the African Union (AU constitute the world's 17th largest When the African Union (AU was founded in 2001 it represented almost the entire African continent The individual member States of the African Union (AU coordinate foreign policy through this agency in addition to conducting their own International relations Member States of the African Union (AU cover almost the entirety of continental Africa and several off-shore islands The African Union is intended to be a Geo-political entity covering the entirety of the African continent The languages of the '''African Union''' (AU are Languages used by citizens within the member states of the AU English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States International Organization is a peer-reviewed Academic journal that covers the entire field of International affairs. A nation is a Human Cultural and Social Community. In as much as most members never meet each other yet feel a common bond it may be considered Established on July 9, 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the amalgamated African Economic Community (AEC) and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The African Economic Community (abbreviated AEC) is an organization of African Union states establishing grounds for mutual economic development among the majority The Organisation of African Unity ( OAU) or Organisation de l'Unité Africaine ( OUA) was established on 25 May 1963. Its headquarters is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Addis Ababa (sometimes spelled Addis Abeba, the spelling used by the official Ethiopian Mapping Authority Amharic NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Among the objectives of the AU are to accelerate the political and socio-economic integration of the continent; to promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the continent and its peoples; to achieve peace and security in Africa; and to promote democratic institutions, good governance and human rights. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled

Overview

The African Union, the African equivalent of the European Union or Organization of American States is made up of both political and administrative bodies. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The Organization of American States ( OAS, or as it is known in the three other official languages OEA) is an International organization, headquartered The highest political organ of the African Union is the Assembly, made up of all the heads of state or government of member states of the AU and currently chaired by Jakaya Kikwete, president of Tanzania, elected at the 9th ordinary meeting of the Assembly in January 2008. The Assembly of the African Union, which is formally known as the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government AU-AHSG, is one of several decision-making bodies within Its secretariat is the AU Commission, whose chair is Jean Ping of Gabon. The Commission of the African Union acts as the executive/administrative branch or secretariat of the AU (and is somewhat analogous to the European Commission) Jean Ping (born November 24, 1942) is a Gabonese diplomat and politician who is currently the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union Gabon (gəˈbɒn or /gaˈbõ/ in French) is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic

Other institutions of the AU include the Executive Council, made up of foreign ministers; the Permanent Representatives Committee, made up of the ambassadors to Addis Ababa of AU member states; the Pan African Parliament; and the Economic Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), a civil society consultative body (see further below). The Pan-African Parliament, also known as the African Parliament is the legislative body of the African Union.

The AU covers the entire continent^[2] except for Morocco, which opposes the membership of Western Sahara as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa Western Sahara ( Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: as-Ṣaḥrā' al-Gharbīyah; Sahara Occidental is a territory The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic ( SADR) (' الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية) is a partially However, Morocco has a special status within the AU and benefits from the services available to all AU states from the institutions of the AU, such as the African Development Bank. The African Development Bank ( ADB) is a development bank established in 1964 with the intention of promoting economic and social development in Africa. Moroccan delegates also participate at important AU functions, and negotiations continue to try to resolve the conflict with the Polisario Front in Tindouf, Algeria and parts of Western Sahara. The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Po pular de Li beración de Sa Tindouf (تندوف is the main town in Tindouf Province, Algeria. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's See also Western Sahara The Free Zone is a term used by the Polisario Front to describe the part of Western Sahara that lies to the east of the Moroccan

The AU's first military intervention in a member state was the May 2003 deployment of a peacekeeping force of soldiers from South Africa, Ethiopia, and Mozambique to Burundi to oversee the implementation of the various agreements. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa Burundi (buˈɾundi officially the Republic of Burundi, is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda AU troops are also deployed in Sudan for peacekeeping in the Darfur conflict. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The War in Darfur is a military conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan. The AU also has pledged to send peacekeepers to Somalia, of which the peacekeepers from Uganda have already reached Somalia. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa.

The AU has adopted a number of important new documents establishing norms at continental level, to supplement those already in force when it was created. These include the African Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption (2003) and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (2007), as well as the New Partnership for Africa's Development and its associated Declaration on Democracy, Political, Economic and Corporate Governance. The New Partnership for Africa's Development ( NEPAD) is an Economic development program of the African Union. ^[3]

Membership

Main article: Enlargement of the African Union

Map of the African Union. When the African Union (AU was founded in 2001 it represented almost the entire African continent

Current members

Former members

 Morocco left the AU's predecessor (the Organization of African Unity) in 1984; See below. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Angola, officially the Republic of Angola (República de Angola Pronounced ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɨ ɐ̃ˈgɔlɐ Repubilika ya Ngola is a country in south-central Benin (bə'nɪn officially the Republic of Benin, and also known as Benin Republic, is a country in Western Africa. The Republic of Botswana (Lefatshe la Botswana is a Landlocked nation in Southern Africa. Burkina Faso (bɚˌkiːnəˈfɑːsoʊ burr-KEE-na FAH-soh) also known by its short-form name Burkina, is a Landlocked nation in West Africa Burundi (buˈɾundi officially the Republic of Burundi, is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. The Republic of Cape Verde ( Portuguese: Cabo Verde, 'kabu 'veɾdɨ is a Republic located on an Archipelago in the Macaronesia Central Africa|Central African FederationThe Central African Republic ( CAR) République Centrafricaine ʀepyblik sɑ̃tʀafʀikɛn or Centrafrique) is a Landlocked Chad (Tchad تشاد Tshād) officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a Landlocked country in Central Africa. The Comoros (ˈkɒməroʊz; جزر القمر Juzur al-Qumur) officially the Union of the Comoros (Union des Comores الإتّحاد القمريّ Côte d'Ivoire (ˌkoʊt divˈwɑː(r ' in English, kot diˈvwaʀ in French) or Ivory Coast, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a The Democratic Republic of the Congo (République démocratique du Congo often referred to as DR Congo, DRC or RDC, and formerly known or referred to The Republic of the Congo (République du Congo Kongo: Repubilika ya Kongo; Lingala: Republiki ya Kongó) also known as Congo-Brazzaville Djibouti ( جيبوتي Jībūtī, Somali: Jabuuti) officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( República de Guinea Ecuatorial,) is a country in Central Africa. Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page Gabon (gəˈbɒn or /gaˈbõ/ in French) is a country in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Republic The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the Guinea, officially Republic of Guinea (pronounced /ˈgɪni/ République de Guinée is a country in West Africa, formerly known as French Guinea The Republic of Guinea-Bissau (ˈgɪni bɨˈsaʊ República da Guiné-Bissau ʁɛˈpublikɐ dɐ giˈnɛ biˈsau is a country in Western Africa, and one of the smallest The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south Lesotho (lɪˈsuːtuː) officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a Landlocked country and Enclave — entirely surrounded by the Republic of South Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the west coast of Africa, bordered by Sierra Leone, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire Libya ( ليبيا ar-Latn Lībiyā; Libyan vernacular: Lībya; Amazigh:) officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern The Republic of Malawi (məˈlɑːwi or; formerly Nyasaland) is in southern Africa. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. Mauritania (موريتانيا Mūrītāniyā officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country Mauritius (pronounced məˈrɪʃəs L’île Maurice /il mɔ'ʁis/ Mauritian Creole: Maurice) officially the Republic of Mauritius, République Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast Niger ( or /ˈnaɪdʒɚ/) officially the Republic of Niger, is a Landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic ( SADR) (' الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية) is a partially São Tomé and Príncipe, officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, is an Island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, off the western equatorial Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Seychelles (seɪˈʃɛl or /seɪˈʃɛlz/ in English and seʃɛl in French) officially the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles Creole Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The Kingdom of Swaziland is a country located in Southern Africa centred at approximately 26o49'S 31o38'E Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya TOGO was a Japanese roller coaster design company famous for inventing the Stand-up roller coaster. Tunisia (تونس Tūnis officially the Tunisian Republic ( is a country located in North Africa. The Republic of Uganda is a Landlocked country in East Africa. The Republic of Zambia (ˈzæmbɪə is a Landlocked country in Southern Africa. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa The Organisation of African Unity ( OAU) or Organisation de l'Unité Africaine ( OUA) was established on 25 May 1963.

Morocco's withdrawal

The only African state that is not a member of the African Union is Morocco, which left the AU's predecessor, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), in 1984, when many of the other member states supported the Sahrawi nationalist Polisario Front's Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Morocco (المغرب "al-Maghrib" officially the Kingdom of Morocco (المملكة المغربية is a country located in North Africa The Organisation of African Unity ( OAU) or Organisation de l'Unité Africaine ( OUA) was established on 25 May 1963. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation The Polisario, Polisario Front, or Frente Polisario, from the Spanish abbreviation of Frente Po pular de Li beración de Sa The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic ( SADR) (' الجمهورية العربية الصحراوية الديمقراطية) is a partially ^[4][5] Morocco's ally, Zaire, similarly opposed the OAU's admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and the Mobutu regime boycotted the organisation from 1984 to 1986. The Republic of Zaire (pronunciation; République du Zaïre was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between October 27, 1971 Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga ( October 14, 1930 September 7, 1997) known commonly as Mobutu, or Mobutu ^[6] Some countries have since retracted their support for the Sahrawi Republic. ^[7]

See also: List of African Union member states by political system and List of African Union member states by population

Organs of the AU

African Union

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the African Union

Institutions Casablanca Group Union of African States Organisation of African Unity African Economic Community African Unification Front Executive Assembly Chairperson Commission Chairperson Conference and Events Peace & Sec. African Union (AU member States, have various forms of Government. This is a list of African Union member states by population. Below is a list of African Union Institutions. The Casablanca Group was an organization of "progressive states" founded in 1961. The Union of African States, was a short lasting union of 3 African states in West Africa, in the 1960 's The Organisation of African Unity ( OAU) or Organisation de l'Unité Africaine ( OUA) was established on 25 May 1963. The African Economic Community (abbreviated AEC) is an organization of African Union states establishing grounds for mutual economic development among the majority The African Unification Front is an organisation aiming to promote the Political, Social and Economic union of Africa. The Assembly of the African Union, which is formally known as the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government AU-AHSG, is one of several decision-making bodies within The Chairperson of the African Union is chosen by the Assembly of the African Union, which consists of the heads of state of member countries to serve a one-year The Commission of the African Union acts as the executive/administrative branch or secretariat of the AU (and is somewhat analogous to the European Commission) The Commission of the African Union serves as the AU's administrative branch and as a secretariat of the Pan African Parliament Pol. Affairs Infra. & Energy Soc. Affairs HR, Sci. , & Tech. Trade and Industry Rural Econ. & Agri. Economic Legal Counsel Executive Council Rep. Committee Legislature Pan-African Parliament President Bureau Secretariat List of members Permanent Committees Rural Econ., Agri., Resources, Eviron. Monetary & Financial Trade, Customs, & Immigration Cooperation, IR, & Conflict Transport, Industry, Communications,   Energy, Science, & Tech. Health, Labour, & Social Educ., Culture, Tourism, & HR Gender, Family, Youth, Disabilities Justice & Rights Rules, Privileges, & Discipline Judiciary Sirte Declaration Constitutive Act of the AU Law Charter on Rights Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights Court of Justice Court on Human and Peoples' Rights List of judges Advisory bodies Peace and Security Council Economic, Social, and Cultural Council Specialised Technical Committees Rural Econ. The Executive Council of the African Union is made up of ministers designated by the governments of member countries The Permanent Representatives' Committee of the African Union is made up of nominated representatives of member countries by the African Union. The Pan-African Parliament, also known as the African Parliament is the legislative body of the African Union. The Bureau of the Pan-African Parliament is essentially the leadership of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP and consists of one President and four Vice-Presidents In order to allow the Pan-African Parliament 's functions to be carried out more smoothly and in a more streamlined fashion it is assisted by a Secretariat Below is a list of the MPs that make up the African Union 's Pan-African Parliament, the respective countries they are elected from and their political party To help coordinate efforts in dealing with issues on the continent the Pan-African Parliament created ten permanent committees Committee on Rural Economy Agriculture The Committee on Rural Economy Agriculture Natural Resources and Environment is one of the Ten Permanent Committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Trade Customs and Immigration Matters is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Cooperation International Relations and Conflict Resolution is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Transport Industry Communications Energy Science and Technology is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Health Labour and Social Affairs is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Education Culture Tourism and Human Resources is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Gender Family Youths and People with Disabilities is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Justice and Human Rights is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Committee on Rules Privileges and Discipline is one of the ten permanent committees of the Pan-African Parliament. The Sirte Declaration was the resolution adopted by the Organisation of African Unity on 9 September 1999, at Sirte, Libya, to create The Constitutive Act of the African Union sets out the codified framework under which the African Union is to conduct itself The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (also known as the Banjul Charter) is an International human rights instrument that purports to promote and protect The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights ( ACHPR) is a Quasi-judicial body tasked with promoting and protecting Human rights and collective The Court of Justice of the African Union is intended to be the “principal judicial organ of the Union” (Protocol of the Court of Justice of the African Union Article 2 The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights is a regional court that rules on African Union states' compliance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights The first Judges of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights were elected on January 22, 2006 at the Eighth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council The Peace and Security Council is the organ of the African Union in charge of enforcing union decisions The Economic Social and Cultural Council is an advisory body of the African Union charged with overseeing the development of those particular areas within the continent The Specialised Technical Committees are bodies in the African Union responsible to the Executive Council. , Agri. Monetary & Financial Trade, Customs, and Immigration Industry, Sci. & Tech. , Energy. . . Transport, Comm. , Tourism Health, Labor, Social Edu. , Culture, & Human Resources Financial bodies AEC Pillars (Abuja Treaty) CEN-SAD COMESA EAC ECCAS/CEEAC CEMAC ECOWAS UEMOA WAMZ IGAD SADC SACU AMU/UMA African Central Bank African Monetary Fund African Investment Bank New Partnership for Africa's Development African Peer Review Mechanism Decentralised bodies Agencies of the AU Related topics Elections Enlargement Foreign relations

Other countries · Atlas  Politics Portal view • talk • edit

The African Union has a number of official bodies:

Pan-African Parliament (PAP) 

To become the highest legislative body of the African Union. The Abuja Treaty is a Pan-African international agreement signed on June 3rd 1991 in Abuja, Nigeria. CEN-SAD or the Community of Sahel-Saharan States ( French: Communauté des Etats Sahélo-Sahariens Arabic: تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, is a Preferential trading area with nineteen member states stretching from Libya to Zimbabwe. The East African Community ( EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation comprising five east African countries The Economic Community of Central African States ( ECCAS; French: Communauté Économique des États d'Afrique Centrale; Spanish: Comunidad The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (or CEMAC from its name in French, Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l'Afrique Centrale The Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries founded on May 28 The West African Economic and Monetary Union (or UEMOA from its name in French, Union économique et monétaire ouest-africaine) is an organization The West African Monetary Zone is a group of 5 countries in ECOWAS that plan to introduce a common currency the Eco by the year 2009. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement is a seven-country regional development Organization in The Southern African Development Community ( SADC) is an Inter-governmental organization. Southern African Customs Union ( SACU) is a Customs union among five countries of Southern Africa. The Arab Maghreb Union ( Arabic: اتحاد المغرب العربي transliterated: Ittihad al-Maghrib al-Araby French The African Central Bank (ACB is one of the three financial institutions of the African Union. The Africa Monetary Fund will be an African Union financial institution though in time its responsibilities will be transferred to the African Central Bank. The African Investment Bank (AIB is one of three financial institutions of the African Union (AU along with the African Monetary Fund and the African Central The New Partnership for Africa's Development ( NEPAD) is an Economic development program of the African Union. The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM is a mutually agreed instrument voluntarily acceded to by the member states of the African Union (AU as a self-monitoring mechanism When the African Union (AU was founded in 2001 it represented almost the entire African continent The individual member States of the African Union (AU coordinate foreign policy through this agency in addition to conducting their own International relations Information on politics by country is available for every Country, including both De jure and De facto independent The Pan-African Parliament, also known as the African Parliament is the legislative body of the African Union. The seat of the PAP is at Midrand, South Africa. Midrand is in Johannesburg, South Africa. It was established as a Local Municipality in 1981 but was incorporated into Region 2 of the City The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa The Parliament is composed of 265 elected representatives from all 53 AU states, and intended to provide popular and civil-society participation in the processes of democratic governance. The current President of the Pan African Parliament is Gertrude Mongella of Tanzania. Gertrude Ibengwe Mongella is the president of the Pan-African Parliament. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya

Assembly of the African Union 

Composed of heads of state and heads of government of AU states, the Assembly is currently the supreme governing body of the African Union. The Assembly of the African Union, which is formally known as the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government AU-AHSG, is one of several decision-making bodies within It is gradually devolving some of its decision-making powers to the Pan African Parliament. It meets once a year and makes its decisions by consensus or by a two-thirds majority. The current Chairman of the Assembly is Jakaya Kikwete, president of Tanzania. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born October 7 1950) is a Tanzanian politician and current President of the United Republic of Tanzania Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya

African Union Commission 

The secretariat of the African Union, composed of ten commissioners and supporting staff and headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Commission of the African Union acts as the executive/administrative branch or secretariat of the AU (and is somewhat analogous to the European Commission) Addis Ababa (sometimes spelled Addis Abeba, the spelling used by the official Ethiopian Mapping Authority Amharic NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page In a similar fashion to its European counterpart, the European Commission, it is responsible for the administration and co-ordination of the AU's activities and meetings. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union.

African Court of Justice 

The Constitutive Act provides for a Court of Justice to rule on disputes over interpretation of AU treaties. The Court of Justice of the African Union is intended to be the “principal judicial organ of the Union” (Protocol of the Court of Justice of the African Union Article 2 A protocol to set up the Court of Justice was adopted in 2003, but has not yet entered into force: it is likely to be superseded by a protocol creating a Court of Justice and Human Rights, which will incorporate the already established African Court of Justice and Human and Peoples' Rights (see below) and have two chambers—one for general legal matters and one for rulings on the human rights treaties. The draft protocol has been under discussion for several years and is likely to be adopted during 2008.

Executive Council

Composed of ministers designated by the governments of member states. The Executive Council of the African Union is made up of ministers designated by the governments of member countries It decides on matters such as foreign trade, social security, food, agriculture and communications, is accountable to the Assembly, and prepares material for the Assembly to discuss and approve.

Permanent Representatives' Committee

Consisting of nominated permanent representatives of member states, the Committee prepares the work for the Executive Council. The Permanent Representatives' Committee of the African Union is made up of nominated representatives of member countries by the African Union. (European Union equivalent: the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER). For the OIC Committee of Permanent Representatives see OIC Committee of Permanent Representatives.

Peace and Security Council (PSC)

Proposed at the Lusaka Summit in 2001 and established in 2004 under a protocol to the Constitutive Act adopted by the AU Assembly in July 2002. The Peace and Security Council is the organ of the African Union in charge of enforcing union decisions The protocol defines the PSC as a collective security and early warning arrangement to facilitate timely and effective response to conflict and crisis situations in Africa. Other responsibilities conferred to the PSC by the protocol include prevention, management and resolution of conflicts, post-conflict peace building and developing common defence policies. The PSC has fifteen members elected on a regional basis by the Assembly. Similar in intent and operation to the United Nations Security Council.

Economic, Social and Cultural Council

An advisory organ composed of professional and civic representatives, similar to the European Economic and Social Committee. The Economic Social and Cultural Council is an advisory body of the African Union charged with overseeing the development of those particular areas within the continent The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC is a body of the European Union (EU established in 1957 The interim chair of ECOSOCC is Nobel prizewinner Wangari Maathai of Kenya. Dr Wangari Muta Maathai (born April 1, 1940 in Ihithe village Tetu division Nyeri District of Kenya) is an The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north Somalia to the northeast Tanzania to the south

Specialised Technical Committees

Both the Abuja Treaty and the Constitutive Act provide for Specialised Technical Committees to be established made up of African ministers to advise the Assembly. The Specialised Technical Committees are bodies in the African Union responsible to the Executive Council. In practice, they have never been set up. The ten proposed themes are: Rural Economy and Agricultural Matters; Monetary and Financial Affairs; Trade, Customs, and Immigration; Industry, Science and Technology; Energy, Natural Resources, and Environment; Transport, Communications, and Tourism; Health; Labour, and Social Affairs; Education, Culture, and Human Resources.

Financial institutions

African Central Bank, African Investment Bank, African Monetary Fund. The African Central Bank (ACB is one of the three financial institutions of the African Union. The African Investment Bank (AIB is one of three financial institutions of the African Union (AU along with the African Monetary Fund and the African Central The Africa Monetary Fund will be an African Union financial institution though in time its responsibilities will be transferred to the African Central Bank. These institutions have not yet been established. Eventually, the AU aims to have a single currency (the Afro). The Afro is the proposed official currency of the African Union.

Human rights 

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, in existence since 1986, is established under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (the African Charter) rather than the Constitutive Act of the African Union. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights ( ACHPR) is a Quasi-judicial body tasked with promoting and protecting Human rights and collective The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights (also known as the Banjul Charter) is an International human rights instrument that purports to promote and protect It is the premier African human rights body, with responsibility for monitoring and promoting compliance with the African Charter. The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights was established in 2006 to supplement the work of the Commission, following the entry into force of a protocol to the African Charter providing for its creation. The African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights is a regional court that rules on African Union states' compliance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights It is planned that the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights will be merged with the African Court of Justice (see above).

Role of the diaspora

The Constitutive Act of the AU declares that it shall "invite and encourage the full participation of the African diaspora as an important part of our Continent, in the building of the African Union". The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world - predominantly to the Americas, then later to Europe, the The African Union Government has defined the African diaspora as "consisting of people of African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union". ^[8]

Current issues

The AU faces many challenges, including health issues such as combating malaria and the AIDS/HIV epidemic; political issues such as confronting undemocratic regimes and mediating in the many civil wars; economic issues such as improving the standard of living of millions of impoverished, uneducated Africans; ecological issues such as dealing with recurring famines, desertification, and lack of ecological sustainability; as well as the legal issue of the still-unfinished decolonisation of Western Sahara. Malaria is a vector -borne Infectious disease caused by Protozoan Parasites It is widespread in tropical and subtropical regions including Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome The term "liberal" in "liberal democracy" does not imply that the government of such a democracy must follow the political ideology of A civil war is a War between a State and domestic political actors that are in control of some part of the territory claimed by the state The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP Poverty (also called penury) is deprivation of common necessities that determine the quality of life including food clothing shelter and safe Drinking water, and A famine is a widespread shortage of food that may apply to any Faunal species which phenomenon is usually accompanied by regional Malnutrition, Starvation Desertification is the degradation of land in arid and dry sub-humid areas resulting primarily from human activities and influenced by climatic variations Sustainability, in a general sense is the capacity to maintain a certain process or state indefinitely International law is the term commonly used for referring to the system of implicit and explicit agreements that bind together nation-states in adherence to recognized values and standards Decolonization refers to the undoing of Colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through the creation of settlements by another country or jurisdiction Western Sahara ( Arabic: الصحراء الغربية; transliterated: as-Ṣaḥrā' al-Gharbīyah; Sahara Occidental is a territory

Union Government

The principal topic for debate at the July 2007 AU summit held in Accra, Ghana, was the creation of a Union Government^[9], with the aim of moving towards a United States of Africa. A study on the Union Government was adopted in late 2006,^[10] and proposes various options for "completing" the African Union project. There are divisions among African states on the proposals, with some (notably Libya) following a maximalist view leading to a common government with an AU army; and others (especially the southern African states) supporting rather a strengthening of the existing structures, with some reforms to deal with administrative and political challenges in making the AU Commission and other bodies truly effective. ^[11]

Following a heated debate in Accra, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government agreed in the form of a declaration to review the state of affairs of the AU with a view to determining its readiness towards a Union Government. ^[12] In particular, the Assembly agreed to:

• Accelerate the economic and political integration of the African continent, including the formation of a Union Government of Africa;
• Conduct an audit of the institutions and organs of the AU; review the relationship between the AU and the RECs; find ways to strengthen the AU and elaborate a timeframe to establish a Union Government.

The declaration lastly noted the ‘importance of involving the African peoples, including Africans in the Diaspora, in the processes leading to the formation of the Union Government. ’

Following this decision, a panel of eminent persons was set up to conduct the ‘audit review’. The review team began its work on 1 September 2007. The review was presented to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government at the January 2008 summit in Addis Ababa. No final decision was taken on the recommendations, however, and a committee of ten heads of state was appointed to consider the review and report back to the July 2008 summit to be held in Egypt. ^[13]

Role of Regional Economic Communities

One of the key debates in relation to the achievement of greater continental integration is the relative priority that should be given to integration of the continent as a unit in itself or to integration of the sub-regions. The 1980 Lagos Plan of Action for the Development of Africa and the 1991 treaty to establish the African Economic Community (also referred to as the Abuja Treaty), proposed the creation of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as the basis for African integration, with a timetable for regional and then continental integration to follow. The Regional Economic Communities (RECs in Africa group together individual countries in subregions for the purposes of achieving greater economic integration ^[14]

Currently, there are eight RECs recognised by the AU, each established under a separate regional treaty. They are:

• the Arab Maghreb Union(UMA)
• the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
• the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD)
• the East African Community (EAC)
• the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
• the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
• the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)
• the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC)

The membership of many of the communities overlaps, and their rationalisation has been under discussion for several years – and formed the theme of the 2006 Banjul summit. The Arab Maghreb Union ( Arabic: اتحاد المغرب العربي transliterated: Ittihad al-Maghrib al-Araby French The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, is a Preferential trading area with nineteen member states stretching from Libya to Zimbabwe. CEN-SAD or the Community of Sahel-Saharan States ( French: Communauté des Etats Sahélo-Sahariens Arabic: تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء The East African Community ( EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation comprising five east African countries The Economic Community of Central African States ( ECCAS; French: Communauté Économique des États d'Afrique Centrale; Spanish: Comunidad The Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries founded on May 28 The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD Autorité intergouvernementale pour le développement is a seven-country regional development Organization in The Southern African Development Community ( SADC) is an Inter-governmental organization. At the July 2007 Accra summit the Assembly finally decided to adopt a Protocol on Relations between the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities. ^[15] This protocol is intended to facilitate the harmonisation of policies and ensure compliance with the Abuja Treaty and Lagos Plan of Action time frames.

Choosing the chair of the Union

In 2006 the AU decided to create a Committee "to consider the implementation of a rotation system between the regions" in relation to the presidency. Controversy arose at the 2006 summit when Sudan announced its candidacy for the AU's chairmanship, as a representative of the East African region. Several member states refused to support Sudan because of tensions over Darfur (see also below). Darfur (دار فور daar foor, lit "realm of the Fur " is a region in Sudan. Sudan ultimately withdrew its candidacy and President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo was elected to a one-year term. Denis Sassou Nguesso (born 1943 has been the President of the Republic of the Congo since 1997 he was previously President from 1979 to 1992 The Republic of the Congo (République du Congo Kongo: Repubilika ya Kongo; Lingala: Republiki ya Kongó) also known as Congo-Brazzaville At the January 2007 summit, Sassou-Nguesso was replaced by President John Agyekum Kufuor of Ghana, despite another attempt by Sudan to gain the chair. John Kofi Agyekum Kufuor (born December 8, 1938) is the current president of Ghana, since January 7 2001. 2007 was the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence, a symbolic moment for the country to hold the chair of the AU—and to host the mid-year summit at which the proposed Union Government was also discussed. In January 2008, President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania took over as chair, representing the East African region and thus apparently ending Sudan's attempt to become chair—at least till the rotation returns to East Africa. President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (born October 7 1950) is a Tanzanian politician and current President of the United Republic of Tanzania

Zimbabwe

The political crisis in Zimbabwe has been debated both by the African Union and in particular by the Southern African Development Community. See also Great Zimbabwe National Monument. For information about the March and June 2008 presidential elections see Zimbabwean presidential election The Southern African Development Community ( SADC) is an Inter-governmental organization. At African Union level, the situation in Zimbabwe has been a controversial focus of discussions in the Executive Council of the activity reports of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights in which human rights abuses in Zimbabwe have been a leading subject since the early 2000s. The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights ( ACHPR) is a Quasi-judicial body tasked with promoting and protecting Human rights and collective

AIDS in Africa

One of the most serious issues to face Africa is not a dispute between nations, but rather the rapid spread of HIV and the AIDS pandemic. Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Sub-Saharan Africa, especially southern Africa, is by far the worst affected area in the world, and as the infection is now starting to claim lives by the millions. Sub-Saharan Africa is a geographical term used to describe the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara, or those African countries While the measurement of HIV prevalence rates has proved methodologically challenging, more than 20% of the sexually active population of many countries of southern Africa may be infected, with South Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, and Zimbabwe all expected to have a decrease in life expectancy by an average of 6. Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining at a given age 5 years. The effects on South Africa, which composes 30% of the AU's economy, threatens to significantly stunt GDP growth, and thus internal and external trade for the continent.

Interventions in support of democracy

Togo

In response to the death of Gnassingbé Eyadéma, President of Togo, on February 5, 2005, AU leaders described the naming of his son Faure Gnassingbé the successor as a military coup. General Gnassingbé Eyadéma, formerly Étienne Eyadéma ( December 26, 1937 – February 5 2005) was the President of TOGO was a Japanese roller coaster design company famous for inventing the Stand-up roller coaster. Events 1576 - Henry of Navarre converts to Roman Catholicism in order to ensure his right to the throne of France. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé (born June 6, 1966) has been the President of Togo since May 4, 2005; he was previously ^[16] Togo's constitution calls for the speaker of parliament to succeed the president in the event of his death. By law, the parliament speaker must call national elections to choose a new president within sixty days. The AU's protest forced Gnassingbé to hold elections. Under heavy allegations of election fraud, he was officially elected President on May 4, 2005. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Mauritania

On August 3, 2005 a coup occurred in Mauritania that led the African Union to suspend the country from all organisational activities. Events 8 - Roman Empire General Tiberius defeats Dalmatians on the river Bathinus. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Mauritania (موريتانيا Mūrītāniyā officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a country The Military Council that took control of Mauritania promised to hold elections within two years. These were held in early 2007, the first time that the country had held elections that were generally agreed to be of an acceptable standard.

Regional conflicts and military interventions

One of the objectives of the AU is to "promote peace, security, and stability on the continent". ^[17] Among its principles is 'Peaceful resolution of conflicts among Member States of the Union through such appropriate means as may be decided upon by the Assembly'. ^[18] The primary body charged with implementing these objectives and principles is the Peace and Security Council. The PSC has the power, among other things, to authorise peace support missions, to impose sanctions in case of unconstitutional change of government, and to "take initiatives and action it deems appropriate" in response to potential or actual conflicts. The PSC is a decision-making body in its own right, and its decisions are binding on member states.

Article 4(h) of the Constitutive Act, repeated in article 4 of the Protocol to the Constitutive Act on the PSC, also recognises the right of the Union to intervene in member state in circumstances of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Any decision to intervene in a member state under article 4 of the Constitutive Act will be made by the Assembly on the recommendation of the PSC.

Since it first met in 2004, the PSC has been active in relation to the crises in Darfur, Comoros, Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire and other countries. It has adopted resolutions creating the AU peacekeeping operations in Somalia and Darfur, and imposing sanctions against persons undermining peace and security (such as travel bans and asset freezes against the leaders of the rebellion in Comoros). The Council is in the process of overseeing the establishment of a "standby force" to serve as a permanent African peacekeeping force. ^[19]

Darfur, Sudan

Main article: African Union Mission in Sudan

AMIS peacekeepers in Darfur

In response to the ongoing Darfur conflict in Sudan, the AU has deployed 7,000 peacekeepers, many from Rwanda and Nigeria, to Darfur. The African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS was an African Union (AU peacekeeping force operating primarily in the country's western region of Darfur with The War in Darfur is a military conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal Darfur (دار فور daar foor, lit "realm of the Fur " is a region in Sudan. While a donor's conference in Addis Ababa in 2005 helped raise funds to sustain the peacekeepers through that year and into 2006, in July 2006 the AU said it would pull out at the end of September when its mandate expires. Addis Ababa (sometimes spelled Addis Abeba, the spelling used by the official Ethiopian Mapping Authority Amharic ^[20] Critics of the AU peacekeepers, including Dr. Eric Reeves, have said these forces are largely ineffective due to lack of funds, personnel, and expertise. Dr Eric Reeves is professor of English Language and Literature at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he teaches courses in Shakespeare Monitoring an area roughly the size of France has made it even more difficult to sustain an effective mission. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. In June 2006, the United States Congress appropriated US$173 million for the AU force. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Some, such as the Genocide Intervention Network, have called for United Nations (UN) or NATO intervention to augment and/or replace the AU peacekeepers. The Genocide Intervention Network (or GI-Net) is a Non-profit organization that "envisions a world in which the global community is willing and able to protect The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The North Atlantic Treaty The UN has considered deploying a force, though it would not likely enter the country until at least October of 2007. ^[21] The under-funded and badly equipped AU mission was set to expire on December 31, 2006 but was extended to June 30, 2007 and will merge with the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur ( UNAMID) is a joint African Union and United Nations peacekeeping mission formally approved

Somalia

Main article: African Union Mission to Somalia

Somalia has been effectively without a government since the early 1990s. The African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM is an active regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations. Somalia ( Soomaaliya; الصومال) officially the Somali Republic ( Jamhuuriyadda Soomaaliya, جمهورية الصومال) and formerly known A peace agreement aimed at ending the Somali Civil War that broke out following the fall of the regime of Siad Barre, was finally signed in 2006 after many years of peace talks. The Somali Civil War is an armed conflict in Somalia that started in 1988 However, the new government was almost immediately threatened by further violence. On March 6, 2007, Ugandan AU soldiers arrived in Mogadishu as part of a peacekeeping force that is intended by the AU to eventually be 8,000 strong. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Mogadishu ( Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar, Hamar; مقديشو Maqadīshū Burundi, Nigeria, Malawi and Ghana are also expected to contribute, but have yet to do so. Burundi (buˈɾundi officially the Republic of Burundi, is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda Nigeria, officially named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal Constitutional republic comprising thirty-six states and one Federal The Republic of Malawi (məˈlɑːwi or; formerly Nyasaland) is in southern Africa. The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the ^[22] Somaliland, in the north of Somalia, effectively operates as an independent country, though neither the AU nor any other international organisation has recognised it.

Anjouan, Comoros

Main article: 2008 invasion of Anjouan

Mohamed Bacar, who had led the separatist government since 2001, was elected for a five-year term as President of Anjouan. The invasion of Anjouan (code-named Operation Democracy in Comoros) on March 25 2008 was an amphibious assault led by the Comoros, backed Colonel Mohamed Bacar (born May 5, 1962 in Barakani, Anjouan, then a French colony was President of Anjouan, one of the Anjouan (also known as Ndzuwani or Nzwani) is an autonomous Island of the Union of Comoros. His term expired the 14th of April 2007, and the president of the assembly, Houmadi Caambi, became acting president from 15th of April 2007 to 10th of May 2007. Citing irregularities and intimidation in the run-up to voting, the African Union (AU) and the Union government postponed the polls on Anjouan, but a defiant island president Mohamed Bacar printed his own ballots, held elections anyway and claimed a landslide victory of 90 percent on the 11th of May 2007. ^[23]

In October 2007, the African Union imposed travel sanctions on Anjouan's President Mohamed Bacar and other government officials and freezed their foreign assets while calling for fresh elections. Additionally, a naval blockade of the island was implemented. ^[24] In February 2008, the Comoros rejected the African Union's extended sanctions against Anjouan and instead opted for a military solution. In March 2008 hundreds of Union government troops began assembling on Moheli, which is closer to Anjouan than the larger island Grande Comore. Sudan and Senegal were expected to provide a total of 750 troops, while Libya has offered logistical support for the operation. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. In addition, 500 Tanzanian troops were due to arrive soon after. ^[25][26]

The forces invaded Anjouan on March 25, 2008. Events 1199 - Richard I is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting France which leads to his death on April 6. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Economy

Main article: Economy of the African Union

The combined states of the African Union constitute the world's 17th largest economy with a nominal GDP of $500 billion, ranking after the Netherlands. See also African Economic Community, Economy of Africa The combined states of the African Union (AU constitute the world's 17th largest PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands By measuring GDP by PPP, the African Union's economy totals $1. 515 trillion, ranking it 11th after Brazil. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld At the same time, they have a combined total debt of $200 billion.

The AU future confederation's goals include the creation of a free trade area, a customs union, a single market, a central bank, and a common currency, thereby establishing economic and monetary union. See also List of free trade agreements This is article is on free international trade A customs union is a Free trade area with a Common external tariff. A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is the entity responsible for the Monetary policy of a country or of a group of member states In economics a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency (also known as a unitary or common currency An economic and monetary union is a Single market with a common currency The current plan is to establish an African Economic Community with a single currency by 2023. The African Economic Community (abbreviated AEC) is an organization of African Union states establishing grounds for mutual economic development among the majority 2023 ( MMXXIII) will be a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[27]

Languages

Main article: Languages of the African Union

According to the Constitutive Act of the African Union, its working languages are Arabic, English, French, and Portuguese, as well as African languages "if possible". The languages of the '''African Union''' (AU are Languages used by citizens within the member states of the AU Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Portuguese ( or língua portuguesa) is a Romance language that originated in what is now Galicia (Spain and northern Portugal. There are an estimated 2000 Languages spoken in Africa. About a hundred of these are widely used for inter-ethnic communication ^[28] A protocol amending the Constitutive Act adopted in 2003 but (as of 2007) not yet in force added Spanish, Swahili and "any other African language" and termed all six "official" (rather than "working") languages of the African Union. Swahili (called Kiswahili in the language itself is the First language of the Swahili people (Waswahili who inhabit several large stretches ^[29] In practice, translation of documents of the AU into even the four current working languages causes significant delays and difficulties to the conduct of business.

Founded in 2001, the African Academy of Languages promotes the usage and perpetuation of African languages amongst African people. The African Academy of Languages (Fr Académie Africaine des Langues, or ACALAN is a Pan-African organization founded in 2001 by Mali's then-president

Geography

Main article: Geography of the African Union

Member states of the African Union cover almost the entirety of continental Africa and several off-shore islands. Member States of the African Union (AU cover almost the entirety of continental Africa and several off-shore islands A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Consequently, the geography of the African Union is wildly diverse, including the world's largest hot desert (the Sahara), huge jungles and savannas, and the world's longest river (the Nile). A desert is a Landscape or region that receives very little precipitation. The Sahara (الصحراء الكبرى aṣ-ṣaḥrā´ al-kubra, "The Great Desert" is the world's largest hot Desert and the world's second largest Jungle usually refers to a dense Forest in a hot climate such as a Tropical rainforest. A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. The Nile (النيل, Ancient Egyptian iteru or Ḥ'pī, Coptic piaro or phiaro) is a major north-flowing River

The AU presently has an area of 29,922,059 km² (18,592,705 mi²), with 24,165 km² (15,015 mi²) of coastline. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The vast majority of this area is on continental Africa, while the only significant territory off the mainland is the island of Madagascar (the world's fourth largest), accounting for slightly less than 2% of the total. A continent is one of several large Landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by Convention rather than any strict criteria with seven regions Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar (older name Malagasy Republic) is an Island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern This is a list of Islands in the world ordered by area. It includes all islands with an area greater than 2500 km² (970 square miles

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of the African Union

The individual member states of the African Union coordinate foreign policy through this agency, in addition to conducting their own international relations on a state-by-state basis. The individual member States of the African Union (AU coordinate foreign policy through this agency in addition to conducting their own International relations A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. The AU represents the interests of African peoples at large in intergovernmental organizations (IGO's); for instance, it is a permanent observer at the United Nations' General Assembly. International Organization is a peer-reviewed Academic journal that covers the entire field of International affairs. In addition to the current 192 member states, the United Nations welcomes many international agencies entities and one non-member State as observers The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security Membership For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly see General Assembly members Both the African Union and the United Nations work in tandem to address issues of common concerns in various areas. The African Union Mission in United Nations aspires to serve as a bridge between the two Organizations.

Membership of the AU overlaps with other IGOs and occasionally these third-party organizations and the AU will coordinate matters of public policy. The African Union maintains special diplomatic representation with the United States and the European Union. This article contains several lists of Ambassadors from the United States. The European Union Special Representatives are emissaries of the European Union with specific tasks abroad

History of the African Union

Main article: History of the African Union

The historical foundations of the African Union originated in the Union of African States, an early confederation that was established by Kwame Nkrumah in the 1960s, as well as subsequent attempts to unite Africa, including the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was established on May 25, 1963, and the African Economic Community in 1981. The African Union is intended to be a Geo-political entity covering the entirety of the African continent The Union of African States, was a short lasting union of 3 African states in West Africa, in the 1960 's A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution Kwame Nkrumah ( September 21, 1909 - April 27, 1972) was an influential 20th century advocate of Pan-Africanism, and the leader of The Organisation of African Unity ( OAU) or Organisation de l'Unité Africaine ( OUA) was established on 25 May 1963. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1963 ( MCMLXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The African Economic Community (abbreviated AEC) is an organization of African Union states establishing grounds for mutual economic development among the majority Critics argued that the OAU in particular did little to protect the rights and liberties of African citizens from their own political leaders, often dubbing it the "Dictators' Club". ^[30]

The idea of creating the AU was revived in the mid-1990s under the leadership of Libyan head of state Muammar al-Gaddafi: the heads of state and government of the OAU issued the Sirte Declaration (named after Sirte, in Libya) on September 9, 1999, calling for the establishment of an African Union. Muammar Abu Minyar al-Gaddafi 1 (معمر القذافي) (born 7 June 1942) also known as Colonel Gaddafi The Sirte Declaration was the resolution adopted by the Organisation of African Unity on 9 September 1999, at Sirte, Libya, to create Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The Declaration was followed by summits at Lomé in 2000, when the Constitutive Act of the African Union was adopted, and at Lusaka in 2001, when the plan for the implementation of the African Union was adopted. Lomé, estimated population 700000 (1998 is the Capital and largest city of Togo. The Constitutive Act of the African Union sets out the codified framework under which the African Union is to conduct itself Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau of the country at an elevation During the same period, the initiative for the establishment of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), was also established. The New Partnership for Africa's Development ( NEPAD) is an Economic development program of the African Union.

The African Union was launched in Durban on July 9, 2002, by its first president, South African Thabo Mbeki, at the first session of the Assembly of the African Union. Durban (eThekwini is the third most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the EThekwini metropolitan municipality. Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born 18 June 1942 is a South African politician who served as President of South Africa from 1999 to 24 September 2008 The second session of the Assembly was in Maputo in 2003, and the third session in Addis Ababa on July 6, 2004. Maputo, formerly Lourenço Marques, is the Capital and largest city of Mozambique. Addis Ababa (sometimes spelled Addis Abeba, the spelling used by the official Ethiopian Mapping Authority Amharic Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Symbols

The emblem of the African Union consists of a gold ribbon bearing small interlocking red rings, from which palm leaves shoot up around an outer gold circle and an inner green circle, within which is a gold representation of Africa. The Emblem of the African Union features palm leaves shooting up on either side of the outer circle symbolising Peace. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength The red interlinked rings stand for African solidarity and the blood shed for the liberation of Africa; the palm leaves, for peace; the gold, for Africa's wealth and bright future; the green, for African hopes and aspirations. Green is a Color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a Wavelength of roughly 520–570- nm. To symbolise African unity, the silhouette of Africa is drawn without internal borders.

The flag of the African Union bears a broad green horizontal stripe, a narrow band of gold, the emblem of the African Union at the centre of a broad white stripe, another narrow gold band and a final broad green stripe. The flag of the African Union is composed of a broad green horizontal stripe at the top followed by a narrow band of gold. Again, the green and gold symbolise Africa's hopes and aspirations as well as its wealth and bright future, and the white represents the purity of Africa's desire for friends throughout the world. The flag has led to the creation of the "national colours" of Africa of gold and green (sometimes together with white). National colours are frequently part of a country's set of National symbols. These colours are visible in one way or another in the flags of many African nations. Together the colours green, gold, and red constitute the Pan-African colours. Two different sets of three colours are referred to as the Pan-African colours: the green gold and red first used in the Flag of Ethiopia; (Ghana was the first

The African Union has adopted a new anthem, Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together, and has the chorus O sons and daughters of Africa, flesh of the sun and flesh of the sky, Let us make Africa the tree of life. "Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together" is the Anthem of the African Union.

See also

References

Bibliography

• Towards a People Driven African Union: Current Challenges and New Opportunities AfriMAP, AFRODAD and Oxfam GB, January 2007
• The New African Initiative and the African Union: A Preliminary Assessment and Documentation by Henning Melber, Publisher: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet, Sweden; ISBN 91-7106-486-9; (October 2002)
• "The African Union, NEPAD and Human Rights: The Missing Agenda" Human Rights Quarterly Vol. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. 26, No. 4, November 2004.
• Bibliography on the AU at the Peace Palace Library

External links

• Official site
• African Union at the Open Directory Project