ABSTRACT

This study delves into the African Union’s involvement in the resolution of conflicts. The concept of conflict resolution has deep historical and cultural roots, as human beings have always grappled with conflicts and sought various methods to bring about their cessation. The African Union was established as a regional entity aimed at fostering unity across the continent and tasked with the responsibility of ensuring peace, stability, and security. The AU, therefore, holds a constitutional mandate for conflict resolution within Africa. Nonetheless, despite the AU’s authority and capability to address conflicts on the continent, the organization, composed of individual African nations, faces challenges in asserting its independence.

This study employs qualitative research methodology, primarily relying on the legal research’s doctrinal approach. The research findings unveil that many aspects of the nature of conflicts in Africa can be attributed to strong reactions against the inherent flaws in African nation-states. These flaws include a lack of freedom, political inclusiveness, transparency, widespread corruption, and the misappropriation of public resources for the benefit of those in power within the weak and inefficient African regimes. The study further demonstrates that despite the African Union’s utilization of multiple conflict resolution mechanisms, Africa continues to grapple with devastating conflicts, primarily due to the issue of poor governance within African states.

In light of these findings, the study advocates for enhanced efforts to combat corruption and address issues related to bad governance. Through a comprehensive analysis of the African Union’s role in conflict resolution, this research makes a significant contribution to the academic discussions surrounding African governance, peace, and security. The outcomes of this study offer valuable insights for policymakers, scholars, and practitioners, shedding light on the AU’s accomplishments, challenges, and its potential to shape a future of peace and stability for the African continent.

CHAPTER ONE GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Conflict manifests in various forms, and its resolution methods are equally diverse. The world continually seeks innovative approaches to resolve disputes, as conflict is an enduring aspect of human existence. This chapter lays the groundwork by examining the historical origins of conflict resolution and exploring the roles of regional organizations. It provides the background to the study, identifies research problems related to research questions, articulates the intellectual stimulus in the statement of the problem, outlines the research objectives, and discusses the significance and rationale for the study. The chapter further addresses the study’s limitations and scope, reviews relevant literature, identifies knowledge gaps, elucidates the theoretical framework, and concludes with a summary of subsequent chapters.

1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The concept of conflict resolution has a rich historical legacy, deeply ingrained in human history and culture. Throughout history, humans have grappled with conflicts and have employed various methods to bring about their resolution. The approaches to conflict resolution have varied across societies and evolved over time. While negotiation and mediation represent the most commonly known conflict resolution means, it is widely recognized that conflict settlements through treaties or conquest represent the earliest forms of resolving conflicts. In these forms, one party often imposed its terms on the other coercively. The evolution of conflict resolution can be divided into two eras: the traditional and the contemporary.

The traditional era pertains to the early stages of human development, characterized primarily by territorial conflicts. Many nations, such as Ethiopia, the Zulu Kingdom, Great Zimbabwe, and Ancient Egypt, sought to expand their dominance by conquering new territories. Consequently, conflicts during this period were often resolved through the imposition of terms by the victorious party on the defeated one or through the signing of peace treaties. For example, the Treaty of Westphalia (1648) marked the conclusion of the Thirty Years’ War in Europe, involving multiple parties. The treaty introduced the principles of territorial sovereignty and religious freedom, resolving conflicts by establishing territorial boundaries and granting autonomy to various political entities.

Contemporary conflict resolution significantly differs from traditional methods. This shift encompasses a broader array of conflict resolution methods and an expanded focus on contemporary conflict resolution processes. Modern conflict resolution emphasizes processes such as negotiation, mediation, arbitration, good offices, conciliation, and more, which aim to produce solutions that benefit both opposing sides. Furthermore, it extends its focus beyond mere conflict cessation to encompass the creation of conditions for peace. This includes post-conflict reconciliation, the enhancement of justice, and the establishment of conflict management systems. These contemporary theories and processes are substantial advancements over the predominantly used methods of peace treaties and conquest that were prevalent in the past.

The emergence of contemporary conflict resolution processes laid the foundation for internationalism, enabling states to come together to resolve disputes among themselves. Initially, there were attempts to create a congress system for addressing conflicts between nations, where disputing countries engaged in dialogue alongside mediators to broker peace deals or find lasting solutions to ongoing issues. However, this congress system proved ineffective due to its inability to make binding decisions, as its recommendations were non-coercive. The failure of the congress system in resolving disputes contributed to the outbreak of the First World War.

After World War I, the framework for the first international organization dedicated to conflict resolution was established in Paris. The Covenant of the League of Nations, which aimed to ensure global peace and security through collective efforts, was drafted and inaugurated in 1920. Regrettably, by the 1930s, the League of Nations was faltering in its mission. The league’s inability to prevent the Japanese invasion of Manchuria (1931), the Italian invasion of Abyssinia, and Hitler’s invasion of Poland led to its collapse and the onset of the Second World War.

The conclusion of World War II in 1945 marked the birth of a new international organization tasked with resolving conflicts and promoting peace: the United Nations Organization (UNO). The UNO inherited the challenging mission of outperforming its predecessor, the League of Nations, which had achieved some successes in the early 1920s but ultimately failed in the 1930s. The League’s inability to prevent significant global conflicts resulted in the outbreak of World War II. The UNO was established to ensure a more effective approach to international conflict resolution and the promotion of lasting peace.