The African Union (AU) was created to harness a sense of unity and tackle common problems of the continent.
However, it has faced criticism that it does not do enough to protect its citizens from conflict and corruption.
The AU has declared 2019 the year of “Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons”, with the goal of finding what it calls “durable” solutions to the vast problem.
Leaders from 55 countries across the continent are in the Ethiopian capital for their annual summit.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has taken over the AU as chairman.
But UK-based rights group Amnesty International warned his tenure could undermine the AU’s commitments on protecting human rights.
So, what are the challenges facing the AU?
Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam
Guests:
Achieng Akena – executive director Pan African Citizens Network
Sanusha Naidu – researcher Institute for Global Dialogue, a South African think-tank
Michael Amoah – visiting fellow Firoz Lalji Centre for Africa at the London School of Economics
Source: Al Jazeera
