The Organization of African Unity After Thirty Years

The Organization of African Unity is a unique continental organization that embodies Africa's dreams of unity, independence, and development. Its most important decisions are usually the result of summit diplomacy where the heads of state and government are the primary actors. This book makes clear that the OAU, under the pressures of the massive changes that collapsed the Communist system and the Cold War, will become a different actor on the African and world scenes. The African sovereign state, whatever shape or form it may take during the last decade of the twentieth century, can no longer dictate to the OAU, which is now called upon to evaluate sovereign state performance with regard to democratization, human rights, and economic social development. The OAU's new roles in continental peace keeping and peace making will have to be shared with the UN and other international organizations. Finally, the new OAU will have to deal with the issues of economic integration.