The Oau After Twenty Years by Amadu Sesay

Author:Amadu Sesay [Sesay, Amadu]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Ethnic Studies, African Studies, African, Social Science, Political Science, World, General
ISBN: 9780813301129
Google: FtqiDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 2808500
Publisher: Westview Press
Published: 1984-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

Conclusions

We have argued in this chapter that despite the development of elaborate conflict control mechanisms, the OAU was not able to find lasting solutions to the disputes studied. The efforts of the Organisation in the four case studies demonstrated very convincingly its ineffectiveness in managing inter-African disputes. One reason for the OAU’s powerlessness is its low resource base and Charter limitations. Although all four conflicts were referred to the Organisation by one of the parties to the disputes, it could not, as in the Tanzania-Uganda conflict for instance, persuade the combatants to agree to a ceasefire nor could it, as in the Western Saharan case, compel Morocco to honour its resolutions urging a referendum and ceasefire in the Sahara. Similarly, the OAU at the time of writing has not done anything about the renewed fightings in the Ogaden. Finally, as noted in the Chad case, the OAU peace force did not succeed in imposing a solution on the warring factions in Chad.

The intervention of the OAU in two of the four conflicts through Ad Hoc Committees was limited to maintaining a presence and legitimising “Presidential Mediation” initiated by individual African states such as Nigeria in the Chad conflict and Somalia in the Tanzania-Uganda dispute. Notwithstanding the OAU’s ineffectiveness in these conflicts, the Organisation is functional for African states in terms of helping to insulate their conflicts from super-power rivalry; or at least in terms of giving them more control over such extra-continental intervention.

Many suggestions have been advanced to solve the OAU’s weakness in the realm of conflict control. It is argued that sanctions should be written into the Charter while others have put forward the idea of a mini “Security Council” for the OAU. These suggestions are laudable but miss the point for a variety of reasons. First, it is doubtful that any effective machinery could be put into place to enforce such sanctions. Second, African regimes are notorious for their fickleness towards constitutions. On the basis of this reasoning, it is doubtful whether OAU states would faithfully implement any sanctions that an amended OAU Charter might contain. The clandestine trade links which some African states have with the pariah regime in South Africa despite routine OAU resolutions against such links is a sobering example. And third, a final reason why a mere change in the Charter may not make for an effective conflict control by the OAU relates to resources. It has been clearly demonstrated that the Organisation does not have resources to enforce its resolutions. Hence, the provision of sanctions in the Charter without the requisite institutions and resources to enforce them will make the OAU a laughing stock.

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