The African Union is a very different entity to what it once was many years ago. Like many international bureaucracies, it managed to survive long after many national governments fell and were replaced, or its members went to war or sued for peace.
Working with the European Federation, the United Nations, and various NGOs and other national governments of the world, it looks like the stated aims of the AU to make the continent a major international power and to raise living standards of its inhabitants to a level comparable to other international communities have been attained.
The old NEPAD plan, begun in the early 21st century, has been replaced by the AUCD – the African Union Commission for Development, continuing the work for economic integration and benefit with trade and infrastructure projects but also working in educational, environmental and technological investments following its more recent merger with ECOSOCC – the former Economic, Social and Cultural Council.
Following the creation of the Pan-African Space Elevator project, the headquarters of the AUCD moved from South Africa to New Mogadishu, but also opening smaller offices in several areas of operation such as near to the Saharan Reforesting project.
The rest of the Union has also seen change, with various island nations joining following their mostly democratic votes to leave colonial authority. With this larger aegis, a greater cooperation in coastal nations in naval manoeuvres and training has extended to other branches of military forces, and also allowed the creation of several small divisions of international AU defence forces. Generally augmenting UN peacekeepers, the units wear the green and gold of the Union whilst they administer peace efforts.
The idea for their creation came shortly after the Big One when it became clear the efforts of the UN and other international organisations wouldn’t be enough to bring stability back to the coast of East Africa.
Much of the rest of the structure of the AU remains the same as it always has been.
The Permanent Representatives and Commission work in Ethiopia, the Court of Justice remains in Tanzania, and the elected Pan-African Parliament meets in South Africa. The Executive Council and Assembly of leaders move to different countries for summits, and the Presidency rotates every year. A lot of the soft power now resides with the AUCD, though the various political movements for true African federalisation mostly call for more hard power to move to the Parliament.
The idea of a federal Africa remains a distant dream to many, though completely impossible based on current structures.
jot jot ïota 