As the world navigates the complexities of an emerging order, growing multipolarity, rising of plural hegemonies and growing tensions between major global powers, the African Union (AU) stands at the zenith in pursuing Africa’s continental international relations agenda. A significant aspect of this agenda is championing the course for strategic engagement with major powers whose revived national interests embedded in ultra nationalism and vestiges of neo-colonialism is fierce amid the prevailing geo-political shifts and dynamics of African politics in the emerging global order.
Africa once again like in the Cold War era has become a prioritised region for the scramble for prestige and resources for industrial growth by the major powers. The world is highly interested in Africa for its endowed extractive natural resources. Africa’s most pressing geo-political challenge and security concerns remains the ongoing wars in Sudan and Eastern DR Congo and the resurgence of Military Coups and the formation of Alliance of the Sahel States (AES) in sub-Sahara amid the growing presence of terrorist and Insurgence groups.
For 62 years, the AU has made significant progress for peace and security despite current challenges. The AU’s Peace and Security Council remains essential in supporting conflict resolution efforts across the continent, fostering lasting peace through improved cooperation and resource allocation. The AU is working towards “Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want” a comprehensive and outlined aspiration for continental progress and prioritising inclusive diplomacy and institutional strengthening towards its mission of achieving “Silencing the Guns” in building a secure future for Africa.
The African Union leadership spearheaded by its Commission elected at the 38th summit and inaugurated in March 2025 has a momentous task of pursuing and achieving a Pan-African Agenda within the complexities of the emerging world order as the bloc commemorates its 62 years since its foundation on May 25, 1963 as then, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Annually, May 25 regarded as Africa’s Day is recognized globally.
Since its foundation the Union has transformed and adapted to addressing the geo-political reality in the continent. With its transformation from Organisation of African Unity (OAU) to the Africa Union (AU) on July 9, 2002 to reflect a shift in focus primarily from issues decolonisation and anti-apartheid efforts and safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Member States to promoting broader intensifying solidarity of African states, integration and development especially on peace, security and trade.
The OAU was formed by the 32 African states that had achieved independence at the time. A further 21 members joined gradually, reaching a total of 53 by the time of the AU’s launch in 2002. In 2011, South Sudan became the 54th member state, and in 2017, Morocco rejoined and became the 55th Member State ratified in the constitutive Act.
In reflecting to the context of prevailing emerging world order, the AU launched its theme of the year 2025 “Justice for Africans and People of African Descent Through Reparations” According to the bloc, this initiative underscores the AU’s commitment to addressing historical injustices, including the trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, and genocide. It builds on decades of advocacy and collaboration, aiming to foster unity and establish mechanisms for reparatory justice on a global scale.
African States of affairs
African current states of affairs reviews the huge tasks ahead of the African Union and its Regional Economic Community. From the White House unilateral trade tariffs to lagging trade harmonisation limiting inter-African trade, unconstitutional change of government to resource induced conflicts and border disputes, the spread of terrorism, insurgency and piracy, the outbreaks of health pandemics, i.e Ebola and COVID-19 which strained the economic and social resilience of African public health institutions amongst many others. The AU leadership at this precarious time in Africa is expected to champion the course of the continent especially to address the conflicts raging in Sudan and DR Congo.
Domestically, the current AU Commission chair, Mahmoud Ali Yossouf should learn from the successes and failure of his predecessor, Moussa Faki Mahamat whose eight years (2017-2025) administration’s performance has been marked by a combination of limited accomplishments and many unresolved challenges. The Commission should be abrase with contingent strategy to deal with the overriding intervention of major powers in African politics, the growing interference of Turkey and the Gulf states in the Horn, East and Central Africa should be checkmated, the Sino-Africa relation with it robust infrastructure and Russo-Africa relation and rapid spread of its Private Military Corporations are alarming.
The AU Commission should foresight the geo-political consequences of the waning France dominance in West Africa with the growing anti-French sentiment. Amongst all these prevailing geo-political challenges the return of Trump at the oval office poses a significant task. Africa- United States foreign relations under Trump’s second term should be stirred to achieved the AU’s continental goals as strategic partners in this emerging new world order.
Trump’s foreign policies have geo-political impacts on Africa’s trade, security, public health, educational, environmental and migration policies. Some of these policies include; the proposed travel ban on citizens of many African states as part of its radical travel restrictions from 43 countries with 22 from Africa, recent diplomatic row with South Africa.
Withdrawal from Climate Change Paris Agreement which helps to secure funds to mitigate the impending havocs of global warming and transition into renewable energy for developing economies. Suspension of USAID and withdrawal from WHO as the largest donor have resulted to a significant reduction of funds for health programs in Africa which helps to subsidise treatment of HIV/AIDS and other public health infections in Africa.
These Trump’s policies largely leaves the continent of Africa states seemly vulnerable at the nexus of the growing complexities of the global system pushing them to seek to diversify their foreign relations and widen the prospect of opportunities in the pursuit of their respective national interest and increase the range of commercial and financial investment portfolios. As of January 1, 2025, there are three African countries that are members of BRICS with South Africa as one of its founding members with Egypt, and Ethiopia, with Nigeria, Algeria and Uganda as partner countries. The recent expansion can be interpreted as an effort to establish a more equitable global order by elevating the viewpoints of the Global South in advocacy for fairer global system and integrating them more prominently into international dialogues.
In summary, African Union leadership, alongside the leadership of the RECs in achieving a Pan-African agenda amid the emerging world order should prioritise its efforts, first, on peace, security and geo-political stability, secondly with the relative stability then enhanced trade and economic integration with a focus on AfCFTA, African Union Agenda 2063 and Silencing the Guns initiative.
The AU Commission should reignite the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) to allow member states to voluntarily evaluate their governance practices, African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the AU’s blueprint for conflict prevention, management, and resolution, and its counterpart, the African Governance Architecture (AGA). The purpose of the AGA is to foster and defend human and people’s rights, enhance democratic institutions and culture, and guarantee good governance and the rule of law. These priorities if pursued with commiserate political will, will set the paths for progress heading into AU centenary in 2063 for continental posterity and intergenerational equity.
Njoku is a Research Fellow at Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA). He can be reached via: 78b667129 and
[email protected]
