The African Union And Regional Integration Process In Africa:Its Strengths And Weaknesses

This study assessed the African Union and regional integration process in Africa: its strengths and weaknesses. The study was conducted in partial fulfilment for the Master's Degree requirements in International Relations at the School of Politics and International Studies,Central China Normal University.This study demonstrate how the African Union in collaboration with the regional integration blocks, the United Nations, European Union and the broader International community has obtained significant achievements by restoring and maintaining Peace and Security in many African countries. They include: Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, and Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, Liberia, Somalia and Mauritania, etc.The study has also established the major weaknesses of the Organization. Lack of sufficient financial and human capital to carry out the AU plans to reach its objectives,economic dependence, Financing issues, multiplicity of regional organizations, political instability, problem of leadership, absence of African economies complementarities,outward looking economies, micro-nationalism, the low level of economic development,lack of adequate infrastructure constitute the major challenges the AU still faces.Despite efforts by the African Union, Africa remains still the region of the world most unstable where there are many conflicts and their accompanying negative effects:mass internal displacement of people, refugee crises, diseases, famine, poverty, etc.