Role of Africa Union in Promoting peace and security in Africa International Affairs

Abstract

The African continent has faced numerous security challenges in the past decades, including armed conflicts, political instability, terrorism, and transnational organized crime. These security threats have had a significant impact on the continent's development, human rights, and the overall well-being of its people. As a regional organization, the African Union (AU) has been at the forefront of efforts to address these security challenges and promote peace and stability in Africa's international affairs. However, the effectiveness of the African Union’s role in this regard has been the subject of ongoing debate and scrutiny. The study utilized Collective Security and Regional Integration Theories as the theoretical framework and secondary data were sourced from African Union official website, African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) report. Academic journals, African Security Review, Journal of African Union Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), United Nations reports, World Bank and other international organizations. Data collected were analyzed with content analysis and the findings revealed that: The African union peace and security council and Africa standby force, played a crucial role in enhancing collective security on the continent, The study concluded that the African Union played a vital role in advancing peace and security architecture, conflict prevention strategies and peace keeping operations and thus recommended the strengthening Regional Cooperation and capacity building and training.