African Union

https://www.rozen-bakher.com/alliances/african-union

Latest Update: 27 May 2025

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Monitoring Alliances by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher

Monitoring Military, Political, Economic and Trade Alliances that Have an Impact on Global Order and Geopolitics

Monitoring Alliances by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher https://www.rozen-bakher.com/monitoring-alliances

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Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher

A Researcher in International Relations with a Focus on Security, Political and Economic Risks for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and International Trade

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For the Differences Between Military Defence Treaty versus Military Support Treaty versus Military Cooperation:

• The Difference Between Military Defence Treaty versus Military Support Treaty versus Military Cooperation https://www.rozen-bakher.com/alliances/military

The Importance of Political, Economic, and Trade Alliances:

• Rozen-Bakher, Z. (2021). Restrictions on International Trade and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Nationalism-Mercantilism versus Trade Liberalism. Research Paper, PD9. https://www.rozen-bakher.com/research-papers/pd9

• Rozen-Bakher, Z. (2021). The Chess Game of Forming International Trade Agreements: Shaping Global Economic and Political Power. Research Paper, PD10. https://www.rozen-bakher.com/research-papers/pd10

• Rozen-Bakher, Z. (2021). Is the World Trade Organization (WTO) has a Future under the Mechanism of Consensus in Decision-Making?: A New Framework for Achieving Successful Rounds. Research Paper, PD11. https://www.rozen-bakher.com/research-papers/pd11

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African Union

African Union is a Political, Trade and Economic Alliance of the African states that has several regional Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), as well as a military force, the African Standby Force (ASF), which can be activated by the authorisation of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union in order to restore peace, security, and stability. Importantly, African Union (AU) aims to establish Single Free Trade Area, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is supposed to include Free Movement of People in the style of the EU. However, the African Standby Force (ASF) was established to deal mainly with military coups and civil wars that frequently happen in Africa, rather than due to war attacks by other countries outside Africa. In other words, the Standby Force aims to deal mainly with internal military crises over external military crises. Therefore, the Treaty of the Peace and Security Council that the Standby Force acts upon it can not be considered a ‘Military Defence Treaty’ per se, yet sections 4(j) and 4(k) of the treaty can define the treaty as a ‘Military Defence Treaty’ yet only in the case of grave circumstances, such as Genocide, War-Crimes, and Crimes against Humanity. Considering the above, in the case of an attack by another country, a member state of the AU has the right to ask for the intervention of the Standby Force only if the war attack by another country includes Genocide or War-Crimes or Crimes against Humanity. In other words, the Treaty of the Peace and Security Council of the AU did not mention what happens in the case of a war attack by another country that is not party to the treaty, such as in the case of a European country or Asian country that attacks an African country. Nevertheless, the Peace and Security Council can decide to activate the Standby Force even in the case of a ‘regular war’, yet the member states have no automatic right to ask for the intervention of the Standby Force in the case of ‘regular war’ but only in the case of a war that includes Genocide or War-Crimes or Crimes against Humanity.

Official Website of African Union https://au.int/

African Union, Membership Status, 11 May 2025

Regional Organization of African Union

African Standby Force (ASF) of African Union

Regional Free Trade Agreements of African Union

Source: AU, Retrieved May 2025

Source: WTO-Regional Trade Agreements Database, Retrieved May 2025

African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) of African Union

Notes: i) It refers to countries that signed, ratified, and deposited instruments of ratification of AfCFTA. ii) It refers to countries that signed the Free Movement of Persons Protocol.

Various Sources, Retrieved May 2025

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Stay Tuned for the African Union (AU) Membership sorted by 2025 Global Survival Rank by Dr. Ziva Rozen-Bakher

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From Newspapers

• Israel's ambassador is ejected from an African Union event

• African Union chair nominates Togo's president for mediator in DR Congo conflict

• AU moves to defuse South Sudan escalation

• AU welcomes Doha talks between DR Congo and Rwanda leaders

• African Union: Mahmoud Ali Youssouf elected as new commission chairperson

• Africa: New AU Leaders Must Articulate a Bold Vision for Africa's Peace Operations

• Why has ECOWAS established a standby force?

• SADC pushes for Western Sahara independence

• 38th African Union Summit to Focus on Reparatory Justice and Racial Healing Under the Theme: “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations”

• African Union Calls for Visa-Free Movement to Boost Regional Integration

• African Union warns against breakup of DR Congo

• Israel 'Committing Genocide, Must be Prosecuted Internationally' - African Union

• ASF review meeting hears of multiple continental challenges

• Somalia takes over leadership of East African Standby Force from Rwanda

• Remarks by Dr. Ahaji Sarjoh Bah, Director, Conflict Management Directorate, at the Technical Consultative Meeting on the Strategic Review of the African Standby

• AU Summit: Morocco reiterates commitment to good neighborliness & non-interference, pressing need to Combat terrorist & separatism

• 10 things to look out for at the African Union summit

• AU summit unlikely to make progress on Congo in face of Rwanda defiance

• AU member states endorse draft statute of African Monetary Institute - Mahama

• African Union Summit 2025: New Chairperson Faces Urgent Call to Tackle Human Rights Crises

• African Union to get a new chair: 6 key tasks they must tackle

• AU Elections: Will It Change Anything?

• Canada and African Union Commission to host High-Level and Trade Policy dialog

• African Union soldiers killed in al-Shabaab mortar attack

• Madagascar's candidate for AU leadership: 'We must avoid procrastination'

• 'The US needs us more than we need them' - AU minerals chief

• 'Urgent Decisive Action' - AU Calls on UN to Hold Israel Accountable under Intl. Law

• African Union Delegation Visits Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic to Strengthen

• How does the withdrawal of SAMIM affect AU’s engagement in the Conflict in Northern Mozambique?

• Ministers head to Ghana for African Union executive council meeting

• Tinubu demands commitment, funding towards regional standby force

• Proposed 5,000-strong “standby force” to fight insecurity in West Africa

• West African defense chiefs propose a $2.6 billion security plan that analysts say might not work

• Sudan war: African Union Peace and Security Council to muster emergency summit

• African Union calls for extraordinary summit on Sudan war

• Niger coup: Ecowas to deploy standby force

• Somalia asks peacekeepers to slow withdrawal, fears armed group resurgence

• The African Union is weak because its members want it that way – experts call for action on its powers

• Peace, integration and development among top agenda items the African Union summit

• African Union: AU, ICRC, and WFP Join Forces in Exhibition Highlighting Humanitarian Action in Africa

• Progress, challenges, and prospects of Africa’s development form the agenda of ministers at the AU Summit

• Education, Peace, Politics, Climate, Economy and International /Global Diplomacy in Focus at 37th AU Summit

• Marking the 20th Anniversary of the African Union Peace and Security Council: Reaffirming Our Collective Commitment to Building a Secure, Peaceful and Prosperous Africa

• The Security Council Agrees to Consider Funding AU Peace Operations

• African Standby Force turns 20: has it helped keep the peace? The pros and cons

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From Scientific Literature - Research Papers and Research Books

• Who supports the African Union? Understanding the determinants of citizens' opinion for African integration Asongu, S. A., Diop, S., & Ndiaye, C. T. (2024). Who supports the African Union? Understanding the determinants of citizens' opinion for African integration. African Development Review.

• Could the African Union make better use of regional deployments? Kinkoh, H., Soumahoro, M., Mahdi, M., & Atta-Asamoah, A. (2024). Could the African Union make better use of regional deployments?. ISS Peace and Security Council Report, 2024(166), 7-9.

• African Union and the Quest for Peace and Security in Africa: A Critique Abiodun, A. (2024). African Union and the Quest for Peace and Security in Africa: A Critique. In Development and Regional Stability in Africa: Unlocking Potential (pp. 11-31). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.

• The African Union's Peace and Security Architecture Adeyeye, J. A. (2024). The African Union’s Peace and Security Architecture. In Engagement of Africa in Conflict Dynamics and Peace Architectures (pp. 17-36). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.

• Managing Conflict in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for the African Union Mlambo, V. H., Aniche, E. T., & Masuku, M. M. (2024). Managing Conflict in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities for the African Union. The Palgrave Handbook of Violence in Africa, 1051-1070.

• African Union—AU Citaristi, I. (2022). African Union—AU. In The Europa Directory of International Organizations 2022 (pp. 423-437). Routledge.

• The Peace and Security Council of the African Union: from design to reality Sturman, K., & Hayatou, A. (2016). The Peace and Security Council of the African Union: from design to reality. In Africa's New Peace and Security Architecture (pp. 57-76). Routledge.

• From states to secretariats: delegation in the African Union Peace and Security Council Hardt, H. (2016). From states to secretariats: delegation in the African Union Peace and Security Council. African Security, 9(3), 161-187.

• An Assessmnent of the Transformation Of The Organization of African Unity (OAU) To The African Union (AU), 1963-2007 Edo, V. O., & Olanrewaju, M. A. (2012). An Assessmnent of the Transformation Of The Organization of African Unity (OAU) To The African Union (AU), 1963-2007. Journal of the historical society of Nigeria, 41-69.

• African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and tourism development in Africa: contribution, contradiction and implications Gowreesunkar, V. (2019). African Union (AU) Agenda 2063 and tourism development in Africa: contribution, contradiction and implications. International Journal of Tourism Cities, 5(2), 288-300.

• The finances of the African Union (AU) Engel, U. (2019). The finances of the African Union (AU). In The Finances of Regional Organisations in the Global South (pp. 19-34). Routledge.

• Missions with hindrance: African Union (AU) and peacekeeping operations Ola, A. A., & Ehiane, S. O. (2016). Missions with hindrance: African Union (AU) and peacekeeping operations. Journal of African Union Studies, 5(1), 113-135.

• The role of the African Union (AU) in preventing conflicts in African States Bamidele, O. (2016). The role of the African Union (AU) in preventing conflicts in African States. Inkanyiso: Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 8(1), 69-78.

• The resurgence of military coups in Africa and the role of the African Union (AU) MOHAMMED, H. (2022). The resurgence of military coups in Africa and the role of the African Union (AU). Socialscientia: Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 7(3).

• Regional approaches to crisis response, the African Union (AU) intervention in African states: How viable is it? Bamidele, S. (2017). Regional approaches to crisis response, the African Union (AU) intervention in African states: How viable is it?. India Quarterly, 73(1), 114-128.

• The African Standby Force: Progress and Prospects Kent, V., & Malan, M. (2003). The African Standby Force: Progress and Prospects. African Security Studies, 12(3), 71-81.

• The African Standby Force: an update on progress Cilliers, J. (2008). The African Standby Force: an update on progress (p. 7). Institute for Security Studies (ISS).

• The African standby force Cilliers, J., & Pottgieter, J. (2016). The African standby force. In Africa's New Peace and Security Architecture (pp. 111-142). Routledge.

• The African Standby Force: The African Union's tool for the maintenance of peace and security Darkwa, L. (2017). The African Standby Force: The African Union’s tool for the maintenance of peace and security. Contemporary Security Policy, 38(3), 471-482.

• Assessing the challenges of the African Union Standby Force in Peace Support Operations in Africa: The Case of Darfur, Sudan Mahela, M. (2023). Assessing the challenges of the African Union Standby Force in Peace Support Operations in Africa: The Case of Darfur, Sudan. Journal of African Interdisciplinary Studies, 7(11), 220-240.

• Eastern Africa Region And Conflict Management: Case of Eastern Africa Standby Force Wanjira, K., Wasonga, J., & Mulu, F. (2023). Eastern Africa Region And Conflict Management: Case of Eastern Africa Standby Force. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 7(1), 1229-1246.

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From Documentaries and Inside TV News

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