Mention the aims of the Organisation of African Unity (O.A.U) and discuss some of its achievements.

Answer Details

The Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was founded in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in May 1963. It was later transformed into the African Union in 2002.

Aims of the OAU.

1. To promote the unity and solidarity of African states.
2. To coordinate and intensify cooperation among African states in order to raise the standard of living of their peoples.
3. To defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of member states.
4. To eradicate all forms of colonialism and apartheid from the African continent.
5. To promote international cooperation with due regard to the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
6. To settle disputes among member states peacefully through negotiation, mediation and arbitration.

Some achievements of the OAU.

1. Decolonisation and the fight against apartheid: Through its Liberation Committee it gave moral, material and diplomatic support to liberation movements, contributing to the independence of many African states and to the eventual fall of apartheid in South Africa.
2. Peaceful settlement of disputes: It mediated in several inter-state and boundary conflicts, such as the Algeria-Morocco and Somalia-Ethiopia border disputes.
3. Promotion of African unity and a common voice: It gave Africa a united platform to press its interests at the United Nations and other international bodies.
4. Economic and cultural cooperation: It encouraged the formation of regional economic groupings, such as ECOWAS, and the Lagos Plan of Action for economic development.
5. Refugee and humanitarian assistance: It helped to address the problems of refugees and displaced persons on the continent.
6. Preservation of colonial boundaries: It secured agreement to respect the boundaries inherited at independence, thereby averting many territorial wars.