Samenvatting

The transition from the Organization for African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU) was a consequence of the changing peace and security agenda of the Pan-African organization. The African leaders desired a continental peace and security architecture, which would be capable of preventing, managing and resolving conflicts in Africa.
The OAU, guided by the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, was inadequate to accommodate this new headed direction. Hence, on 9 July 2002, in Durban, South Africa, 53 Member States signed the Constitutive Act of this continental Intergovernmental Organization (IGO).
The AU's peace and security architecture, let by the Peace and Security Council (PSC) and support arrangements, has made significant progress in addressing the challenges of Africa.
Yet when it comes to a long-term approach the AU peace security architecture is challenged by the following three main factors:
1. Lack of resources
The AU suffers from a enormous financial deficit as it has only a few
resources, due to the lack of Member States' contribution to the Union, and the high costs to conduct missions. As a result, the Union over-relies on external support and in this way subjects Africa to external donors' their own agenda.
2. Ambiguous legitimacy. The newly adopted intervention clause of the AU is not completely outlined. The AU does not formally acknowledge its obligation to request authorization from the UNSC for intervention. Furthermore, the division of responsibilities between these organizations in missions remain unclear as a result of contradictions in the AU legal framework. Moreover, specified
descriptions of situations where the AU is permitted to intervene are also unavailable.
3. Weak institutional and military capacity. The AU has thus far not established a strong institutional and military capacity due to the lack of human and financial resources. This has resulted in a poorly run PSC and the slow establishment of a Standby Force. In addition, the PSC has not devoted its attention to structural conflict resolution. Therefore, the AU is unable to effectively address the problems of Africa, especially in the long-term.