From OAU to AU: Rethinking supranational governance in Africa

Abstract

The transformation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union (AU) in 2001 placed in sharp focus the need to endow continental structures with the powers to make binding rules and regulations for the enhancement of Africa’s integrative efforts. This supranational aspiration is espoused through the legal and institutional framework of the organization. In specific terms, the Constitutive Act endows the AU with the powers to coordinate the activities of the regional economic communities, intervene in member states, and determine and monitor the implementation of common policies. This chapter will place the continental integration efforts within the supranational paradigm by dissecting some of the peculiar problems hindering effectiveness, and will then posit measures for redressing these obstacles.