How does the United States support the African Union?

In August 2006, the United States became the first non-African country to establish a separate diplomatic mission to the African Union. The U.S. Ambassador to the AU, Cindy L. Courville, pledged to help increase Africa’s trade competitiveness, enhance its peacekeeping capacity, and fight HIV/AIDS. According to the ambassador, more than $1.7 million has been allocated to supporting the political directorate of the AU.
But of the United States’ non-food aid to Africa in 2006—an estimated $3.6 billion (PDF) —no funds were specifically allocated to the African Union. “U.S. support to the AU is ad hoc, crisis-driven, vulnerable to raids from other budget lines, and uneven from year-to-year,” Cooke reported to the Senate.
The United States does support peacekeeping in Africa, but such aid is allocated on a case-by-case basis. In 2006, $175 million went toward peacekeeping operations, a portion of which supports the African Crisis Response Initiative (ACRI). ACRI trains and equips African national militaries to conduct peace support operations, a key initiative of the African Union. The United States also has contributed funds to support the AU forces in Burundi, Sudan, and Somalia. Over $400 million has gone to support the AU force in Darfur.
The United States “would very much like to see a robust African Union,” says Collins, but the State Department “has never been able to construct a coherent policy on what to do about Africa.” Instead, he says, it continues to supply money to individual countries that benefit its interests, rather than giving more substantial funding to a regional body like the AU.

What are the key organs of the African Union?

o The Assembly, comprised of heads of state. It meets at least once a year and is the AU’s main decision-making body. Assembly members elect an AU chairperson, who holds office for one year. The 2008 chairman is Jakaya Kikwete, president of Tanzania.
o The Executive Council, comprised of foreign affairs ministers of individual states. The Executive Council is responsible to the Assembly.
o The Commission, ten commissioners holding individual portfolios who manage the day-to-day tasks of the AU and implement AU policies. The Commission reports to the Executive Council. The current chairperson is Alpha Oumar Konare, the former president of Mali.
o The Peace and Security Council (PSC), set up in 2004. This body can intervene in conflicts to protect the security of the continent. It has fifteen member states, elected for two or three year terms, with equal voting rights. The PSC is also overseeing the establishment of a permanent African security force, the AU Standby Force. It plans to have five or six brigades of 3,000 to 5,000 troops stationed around Africa by 2010.
o Pan-African Parliament, begun in 2004 to “ensure the full participation of African peoples in governance, development, and economic integration of the Continent.” This body debates continent-wide issues and advises AU heads of state. It currently has advisory powers only, but there are plans to grant it legislative powers in the future.
o The Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC). Established in 2005, ECOSOCC seeks to build partnerships between African governments and civil society. It will include African social groups, professional groups, NGOs, and cultural organizations. ECOSOCC currently has interim members serving two-year terms; it is expected to become operational in 2007.
o The Court of Justice. In 2004, the AU agreed that the regional African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights would be merged with the Court of Justice. As of April 2008, the two courts had not yet merged.
o The Financial Institutions. The AU charter names three bodies: the African Central Bank, the African Monetary Fund, and the African Investment Bank. Of these, only the African Investment Bank has been established (PDF), but it is not yet functional. It will be based in Tripoli, Libya.


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