Conflict and violence in Africa in the 21st century: Where is the African Union? A case of Libya, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Central African Republic

Abstract

The inability of the African Union (AU) to deal with increasing outbreaks of violence and conflict has cast a lot of doubt regarding the organization's ability to lead Africa in a 21st century characterized by massive geopolitical dynamics. To answer the critical question of whether the AU is still relevant today, the study employed a strict textual analysis of the relevant literature on the role of the AU in conflict prevention, eradication, and by extension its contribution towards peacebuilding. The study found that the AU has failed to eradicate conflicts in Africa single‐handedly; rather, the UN and together with foreign states have intervened to help quell the violence in Libya, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic and beyond. The failure of the AU has increased global and continental perceptions that the AU is useless and cannot solve Africa's problems today. Therefore, this gives or permits an increase to foreign intervention in the internal affairs of African states. The study concluded that reforms and reaffirming commitment from member states are important elements needed to ensure that the AU can become effective and contribute effectively towards solving Africa's complex problems in a somewhat complex and unpredictable international system.

Mitigating risks and overcoming logistics challenges in humanitarian deployment to conflict zones: evidence from the DRC and CAR

“…The history of violence and resource extraction in Central Africa has led to institutional complexities and limited access to the outside world. Nonstate armed groups (NSAGs) play a central role in the region, attempting to extract and commercialize resources and destabilize neighboring countries (Mlambo and Dlamini, 2019). The Great Lakes region, particularly eastern DRC, and CAR are the two main areas of violent communal conflicts in the region (Schouten, 2019).…”

Intertribal conflict, educational development and education crisis in Yemen: A call for saving education

“…Value differences have been the case in old Sudan, or the socio-ethnic factor was behind the Rwanda genocide during 1994, where 900,000 people were killed in the intertribal conflict (Verpoorten, 2005). Party-political issues, including sharing of power, equation of power and the quota system, could cause intertribal conflicts like the war in Southern Yemen in 1985, whereas economic factors instigate conflict in the Central African Republic (Mlambo & Dlamini, 2019). They fight each other because of unequal economic resources and political authority distribution.…”

The African Union and Conflict Resolution: Challenges and Prospects

“…The inability of the African Union to resolve conflicts in countries like South Sudan, Libya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Central African Republic shows that challenges still face the organization (Mlambo & Dlamini, 2019). There are questions about the African Union's ability to effectively handle the rising number of violent and conflict-filled incidents in the twenty-first century (Mlambo & Dlamini, 2019). However, the AU has significantly contributed to peacekeeping efforts, with missions combating extremist organizations and terrorist activity in addition to peace negotiations (Szabó, 2023).…”