Tag: African Union
The African Union (AU)/European Union (EU) summit, to be held in Abidjan at the end of November, will be off to a truly busy start. While youth and job creation will be the main focus, other issues—such as the Libyan migrant crisis; the forced, yet bloodless resignation of Robert Mugabe; migration; and good governance—risk overshadowing this crucial two-day event.
In 1964, the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the forerunner to the present-day African Union, declared at its Cairo summit that colonial borders would not be altered to reflect on-the-ground realities regarding ethnicity, language, and/or religion. With little debate, the OAU declared that the colonial boundaries of Africa, agreed to in far-away places like Berlin, Paris, London, and even the remote North Sea island of Heligoland, would serve as post-colonial international borders recognized by the United Nations and the tenets of international law. New states could only be carved out of old colonial entities if the post-colonial governments approved. Such approval would not come without a long and protracted armed fight.
An act of terrorism was committed in the heart of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, on Friday night, January 15. Gunmen armed with heavy weapons attacked Cappuccino restaurant and luxury Splendid Hotel. Hostages were released after a government counter-attack in the next morning as the siege ended. Over 20 men died, while hundreds were wounded. The attack was claimed by Al-Mourabitoun, a branch of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)…
The African Union (AU) summit took place on June 7-15 in Johannesburg. It was the most intriguing and fruitful meeting in many years. African leaders made a big step on the way to economic integration as Africa is turning into an international entity…