Managing Conflict in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for the African Union

The fall of colonialism in Africa was meant to usher in a new period of stability and inclusive development in Africa. However, the continent, in a post-independence era, has been engulfed by widespread scenes of violence and conflict, often with devastating repercussions. Whether it be conflict relating to blood diamonds in Liberia and Sierra Leone, oil conflict in Sudan and South Sudan or religious conflict in Nigeria and the Central African Republic, conflict has devastated the prospects of development and unity in Africa. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) was formed to forge unity in Africa; it was underpinned by a pan-Africanist approach to development and the need to protect the interests of African states. However, the OAU was formed during torrid times. The Cold War and post-independence conflicts in Africa greatly impeded the OAU’s objective of forging unity. Subsequently, the African Union replaced the OAU and preached the need to unite Africa on all fronts, and, more importantly, the need to eradicate conflict. Nevertheless, scattered conflicts have increased in the continent, and this has contributed to thousands of civilian deaths, population displacement, stagnated economic development and has consolidated poverty and inequality. Employing a literature review approach, this chapter asks why there is so much conflict in Africa, what gives rise to this, and what are the implications for development. More importantly, this chapter seeks to understand the role of the AU in managing conflict. Has the AU been successful in addressing widespread conflicts in Africa, and if not, what can be done to capacitate the continental body, to ensure it can effectively address the widespread conflicts in the continent?