This gathering highlighted Africa’s liberation movements and reinforced the continent’s collective resolve to break free from colonial rule and exploitation. While Pan-African Congress efforts had existed since 1900, this was the first such meeting held on African soil.
The African Union (AU) was founded as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU), which had been established on May 25, 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The OAU’s primary mission was to support African nations in achieving independence from colonial rule and to foster unity among newly liberated states.
By the late 1990s, African leaders recognized that the OAU needed reforms to address emerging challenges, including economic development, peacekeeping, and regional integration. In 1999, during a summit in Sirte, Libya, leaders proposed creating a new organization with a broader mandate. This led to the formal launch of the AU on July 9, 2002, in Durban, South Africa.
The AU was designed to promote African unity, accelerate economic growth, enhance political cooperation, and establish mechanisms for conflict resolution. Unlike the OAU, it introduced institutions such as the Pan-African Parliament and the African Court of Justice. Over time, it has continued to evolve, taking on critical roles in peacekeeping, democracy-building, and regional development.
The vision behind the AU was summed up in its guiding framework, Agenda 2063, which envisions Africa as a prosperous, integrated, and globally influential continent.
