New Activism Among Africans

The 36-year-old Organization of African Unity has sat on the sidelines of military conflicts across the continent, sticking to its charter principle of noninterference in the affairs of its member states. But that is changing, and this week’s peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea to settle a bloody, 13-month border conflict is a clear sign of the change. The OAU brokered the deal and agreed to mediate its implementation. It’s yet to be seen whether peace on the Ethiopia-Eritrea border will stick, but the OAU’s growing activism is welcome.

Conceived in 1963 to spearhead Africa’s struggle against colonialism, the OAU developed into little more than a debating club for African leaders. In its annual and ministerial meetings, the 53-member organization was always quicker to condemn an outsider than the bloodiest dictator in its midst. Its reputation as a mere spectator to African genocide grew, and so did the chorus of voices inside Africa calling for its dismantling.

But that view is shifting, and the OAU’s dogged pursuit of peace in the Horn of Africa serves as the most dramatic sign of the organization’s fresh approach. No doubt, the admission of South Africa to the OAU and the return of Nigeria to civilian rule have given decisive weight to the group’s new vigor.

In the waning hours of this week’s summit in Algeria, the OAU pushed Ethiopia and Eritrea to sign its plan for a cease-fire and the withdrawal of troops from the disputed regions. Moreover, it staked its reputation on mediating the implementation of the proposals. Peace might still elude the belligerents, but not for want of OAU peace efforts.

The challenges ahead for the OAU are formidable. Democracy has yet to take root in much of Africa, and the rise of nation states is spawning a resurgence of nationalism. Meanwhile, the continent is lagging in economic development. The Algiers summit offered outsiders encouragement, recognizing as it did the fact that the OAU must put its own house in order to become more effective. The organization agreed to exclude from its meetings nonelected heads of state, rewrite the outdated founding charter, cooperate in fighting terrorism and prevent members’ territories from being used as terrorist bases.

It will have to do all that and more to convince skeptics that the OAU is the organization to lead Africa into the next century. At this point, it’s heading in the right direction.