Inside Story

Can the African Union tackle the continent’s security challenges?

Africa’s leaders discuss the conflicts in Libya and the Sahel during their annual summit in Ethiopia’s capital.

The African Union is a symbol of the continent’s unity meant to empower Africans to solve the region’s problems.

It has an ambitious plan to transform states and improve security but for many Africans, peace and prosperity are far from being a reality.

The bloc’s 55 leaders are now gathering for their annual summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, to discuss how to tackle this problem. The two-day meeting is being held with the theme, Silencing the Guns.

Has the bloc been able to fulfil its mandate up to now?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests: 

Afyare Elmi – Professor of international relations at Qatar University

Sanusha Naidu – Senior research fellow at the Institute for Global Dialogue, a South African think-tank

Aliyu Musa – An independent researcher on conflict studies in Africa