ABSTRACT
The
then Organization for African Unity (OAU), was noted to have faced several
challenges right from the inception to the post--colonial Africa period. This
problems was under pinned on poor leadership, the evil of one party state
system, economic poverty, instability, cyclical dependency, lack of
infrastructure, high illiteracy rate and poverty of development among others.
To compound the OAU efforts for stability many states were engulfed with
internal crisis that was to some extent internationalized. With these heavy
burden, confused, aimless and over stressed, the OAU was generally seen as a
toothless bulldog that can only bark without biting. A helper that cannot help
itself and so on. With poor diplomacy in the face of several failed states, the
clarion call for a change was adopted in 2002 at Harare, Zimbabwe, to go from
OAU to African Union (AU). H was this long awaited search for political reality
that seem to have created relative peace in the continent in recent time.
The
study in evaluating the above noted problems adopts the use of primary and
secondary data. The primary data uses of oral face-to-face interview with
content analysis. Also employed were
Secondary data, which include the use of archival library method, internet
browsing, materials from journals, CD ROM and materials necessary to form a
good value judgment of the work. The instruments used are in-depth interview approach
using content analysis and descriptive methods that was enhanced by
interpretative concept.
The
finding of the research informed that most of the Nationalist who collected
power from the colonial masters misused it. It also noted that the forming of
one party state was a bad political scheming by the then Nationalist. The work
noted that the then OAU suffered a terrible blows because of the division and
separated interest within the body. The study observed that the consistent
cries bedeviling the content was partly due to poverty and betrayal of trust
among the leaders. The work revealed that it was due to the persisting stigma
and alienations of the African citizens outside that made the cry for a change
possible.
The
coming of African Union (AU) at a time of complete need for change seem to have
created a new hope if only every African citizenry will join hand to make the
continent a home for all as African problems can only be tackle by the Africans
alone. The rejuvenation of African States diplomacy is welcomed act if it is
done in a genuine manner to accommodate all interest.
KEY
WORDS: Political Reality, African Union, One Party State, Instability,
Poor Leadership, Crisis.
TABLE OF
CONTENT
Title Page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement IV
Table of Content v-vi
Abstract vii
CHAPTER
ONE: GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study 1
1.2 Statement of problem 3
1.3 Objective of Study 3
1.4 Significance of Study 4
1.5 Methodology 5
1.6 Scope of Study 5
1.7 Limitation of Study 6
1.8 Definition of Research Terms 6
CHAPTER
TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2. 1. The general perception towards
OAU existence. 8
2.2.The contemporary need for African
Rebirth (AU) 13
2.3 The Historical Overview and the
Activities of OAU since Inception. 16
2.4 The Hiccups in OAU Diplomacy of
Successes and Shortfalls. 19
CHAPTER
THREE: GENERAL ANALYSIS
3.1 The
Failed OAU Diplomacy and the Emergent of New African Union:
An Analysis. 25
3.2 The
Evaluation of African Union and its Practical Reality Agenda. 32
CHAPTER
FOUR: GENERAL APPRAISAL
4.1 The
General Implications of African States Continuity Under OAU
Agenda 37
4.2 The
General Appraisal of the New AU Initiatives 42
CHAPTER
FIVE
CONCLUSION
AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
of Findings 51
5.2 Recommendation
and Conclusion 54
Bibliography 58
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Following the golden era of the African civilization when
empires and kingdoms flourished in different parts of the continents, Africa
was subjected to a succession of misfortunes.
According to Brownson (1998:34) the devastation of slavery
and colonialism rendered the continent virtually prostrate and a victim of all
sorts of vicissitudes such as partitioning and dismemberment, ethnic conflicts
and wars, famine and poverty, epidemics and human sufferings as well as
destabilization and decimation of the populations among other woes (Abia, 2006:
17).
To revive itself, Africa have to embark on a tortuous and
prolonged search for self-identity. The process that did not gather momentum
until few educated citizens were sensitized by a handful of Pan-Africanist
whose voices took relatively long time to be heard and heeded. The turning
point was the era of political independence of some African states, spear
headed by Ghana in 1959. Thereafter, some concrete steps were taken towards the
African Renaissance when in 1963 the Organization of African Unity (OAU)
subscribed by 32 member states was established.
With the establishment of OAU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in
1963, Africans were optimistic that this organization will achieve full liberation of the continent from economic,
social and political problems. But, even with some level of success, its
ineptitude has dashed the hopes and aspirations of every African at home and in
Diaspora. Hence, efforts are made at redirecting African political leadership,
economic policies as well as other social factors for accelerated development
of the continents and its people at all levels through African union (Brownson,
1998:35).
However, the organization of African unity is both the symbol
and embodiment of Old-Age Pan-African yearning that found remarkable expression
in the 19th Century epic of scattered African Communities; A
movement for self-assertion in its early days. Pan-Africanism evolved
progressively into an organized force with cultural and political concerns
especially after World War II when it took on a continental dimension. From the
first Pan-African gathering in Manchester (united kingdom) in 1900 to the
historic conference of 32 independent African States in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
in 1963. Numerous attempts were made at galvanizing African aspiration for
freedom, equality, justice and progress.
Many historians and political scientists have rightly
Stated that Pan-Africanism is the gift of people African descent in the new
world (the Americans and the Caribbean) to African and old world (the continent
of Africa) for if it is to the intellectuals and political activities in North
America and Caribbean, particularly DR W.E.B Dubois, Marcus Garvey, Edward
Blyden, and Henry Sylvester Williams, that we owe the crusade not only for the
earliest stirrings in what eventually became the Civil Rights Movements but
also the vision of an independent African united by pride in blackness and
determination at the very least to the fight against racial discrimination,
injustice and economic exploitation.
1.2 STATEMENTS OF PROBLEM
In view of the background to the study, the following are
some of the raised problems of the work:
i.
What are the
responsibilities and failed duties of OAU that led to its demise in 2002?
ii.
Why are African states
bedeviled by political instability?
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
The following are the research objective of study:
i.
To explain the various
reasons and lapses that allowed for the demise of the OAU.
ii.
To explain the problems
associated to African political instability and poverty of development.
iii.
To accentuate if there
are possible solutions to the African lingered crises with possible changes.
1.4 SIGNIFICANT
OF THE STUDY
This work is significant for various reasons.
First, the like hood of what happen to OAU repeating
itself under the present structure in future must be addressed. The issue of
continent and continuous crisis in African politics and government deserves a
thorough review within the context of different forms and kinds of diplomacy in
practice. The thorough examination of the place of diplomacy towards solving
the cases of instability will not only help in creating new grounds for
conflict management but also enhance the quality of governance in the contemporary
era.
Secondly, the search for a political reality by the
African people away from the old order of OAU into the new AU idea of tacking
African problem makes the continent to see African problem as that that can
only be solved by the African alone. For if the root causes of several
instabilities in the continent are nipped on the bud peace at the different
regions will be considerably assumed.
Thirdly, against the background of the importance of, this
study, it is significant to note that due to the levity in treatment of past
African states' political problem leading to wars, genocide and ethnic
cleansing among others, that this work is of the view that early warning to
African crisis must be taken serious with adequate diplomacy.
Fourthly, the work tends to contribute to knowledge by
closing the gaps in literature on the issues of preventive measures to conflicts and instability with the abridgement
of the diplomatic policy lapses inherent in the former OAU/new AU interventions
mechanism.
Finally, it will not only extend frontier of knowledge but
contribute immensely to enhance the existed literatures.
1.5.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
The work adopts both primary and secondary data. The
primary data relied on in-depth interview method of oral face to face interview.
A key information groups were members of international relations, international
law scholars, OAU / AU Staff at Abuja, members of Nigerian foreign affairs and
journalist.
The instrument employed was in-depth interview method.
In the secondary data, a material adequate to give good
value judgment of the work was elicited from archival library, CD ROM, internet
browsing and documentary news. The work in its analysis utilized descriptive
and analytical approach.
1.6.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study covers the period 1965 to 2002. In the focus of
study, the work gives consideration on the origin, achievement and shortcomings
which lead to the formation of African Union.
1.7. LIMITATION OF THE STUDY
This study is considerably constraint by several factors
which fall as limitation to the successful completion of the work.
Amongst this constraints are academic stress and distance
between the research and the supervisor. The problem of logistics which tend to
hamper the zeal of the work. The researcher also encounter problem of poor
finance that could have been used to aid the sourcing of materials. More so,
our library lacks the presence of most recent books or journals in the topic
under study.
On the interview that was conducted on the topic, most
scholars or interviewee where not keen at stating the categorical problem of
OAU, while some were not ready to give in the needed information of the crisis
bedeviling Africa (OAU) that led to the birth of African Union.
All these however, fall as great limitation to the desire
of the study, to which the work despite all odds were able to sub mount.
1.8. DEFINITION OF RESEARCH TERM
The following concepts which occur consistently in the
body of this work are the research definition of terms.
ORGANIZATlON
OF AFRICAN UNITY (OAU): This is the
organization body that unites African States since May 1963. It is only the
African States that are allowed to belong, it tackle Africa problems on
political, Social Economic and security spheres. It is the old organization that
was changed in July, 2002.
AFRICAN
UNION (AU): This is vibrant African
organization that emerged after the demise of OAU, it is very critical in
tackling African problems with a lot of determinism.
INSTABILITY:
This is the act of crisis, war, unheard and destruction in
Africa. It is an unhealthy manner of interaction that had kept the continent
divided without peace. The unstableness of the continent had denial the people
most development and peace.
LEADERSHIP PROBLEM: This
is unhealthy manner caused by illegal selection or election of leaders. It is
very destructive and keep the continent divided/ society divided, thereby
leading to leadership crisis.
INTERFERENCE:
This is the act of been involved or participating in
seeing to ending crisis within a state. To interfere is to asking question
about the reason for crisis or instability.
SOVEREIGNTY:
The rights of an independence State to own itself control
it and tackle its own problem without any interference or involvement of other
states that enjoy the same sovereignty.
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