Whats the difference between the OAU and the African Union?
The African Union will eventually have a common parliament, central bank and court of justice. In theory, these will give ordinary Africans a greater say in their continental leadership, create and run an Africa-wide economy and make abusers of human rights accountable for their actions. OAU Secretary General Dr Salim Ahmed Salim says it will take “at least a year” to set these up. Cynics aren’t holding their breath. Why bother with the change? During the Cold War individual African countries were important global diplomatic players, courted by both east and west eager to expand their spheres of influence. Since 1989, their international influence has been greatly reduced and they have decided that Africa must be united if it is to make its voice heard in the global economy. As Africa emerged from colonialism in the 1960s, some leaders such as Ghana’s Dr Kwame Nkrumah argued that Africa could only survive as a single entity. Others such as Felix Houphouet-Boigny of the Ivory Coast beli
