The association failed to establish a joint military command to counteract the colonial [government forces which only delayed the independence in countries like Rhodesia, Namibia a South Africa.

The adaptation of resolutions of condemnations by the OAU as a weapon to breakdown the 'colonial empires proved to be ineffective since white settlers' regime like South Africa and \ Rhodesia considered it a toothless barking dog which could not bite, perpetuating their) hegemony in the Southern hemisphere.

Divisions within the member states of OAU played a negative impact in the rise of nationalism. Countries like Ghana, Guinea, Egypt, Mali and Morocco supported the use of force against the colonialists' white Nigeria, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Togo and Sudan supported the dialogue therefore, the divergence in approach was a set back in liberation struggles on the continent.

The failure of member states to fulfill their financial obligations also rendered the liberation effects almost impotent because the organization lacked the necessary financial bark bone to execute it's agenda.

The OAU policy of attracting Western countries onto the continent has negatively affected the African culture. Due to the high permissiveness of the African society we have ended up adopting all white and almost neglecting all black.

The continued strong cooperation of OAU with the developed countries mainly from the West only gave birth to nee-colonialism through which countries like USA, Britain and France have continued to interfere in African affairs.

Complete unity in Africa has remained more of a dream than a reality. African leaders from the years of the Nasser's up to date have different opinions on the idea of the United States of Africa, Most of them cherish to be a big fish in a small pond rather than a small fish in a big pond.

The OAU idea of adopting a military approach too as a weapon against the whites settlers to destroy African nationalism in post independent Africa as most leaders resorted to the barrel o the gun as a quick means to come to and cling on power. Therefore Africa became a rash for coups, counter coups and civil wars for example Zaire in 1965, Chad 1975 and 1982 and Uganda 197] and 1975.

The OAU has had only limited success in preventing or ending the civil wars which have created refugees. It did play a key role in ending the Sudanese Civil War in 1972, but it has done, and can do, little to prevent divisions in and between African states. For example it could not prevent Ivory Coast, Gabon. Tanzania and Zambia supporting Biafra in the Nigerian Civil War. It could not even prevent wars between member states in the late 1970s. The OAU peacekeeping operation in Chad in 1981-2 was a failure. It could not prevent the division of African states over a policy of dialogue with South Africa or a policy of sanctions against that state.

 

The Organisation of African Unity [OAU] was a total failure." Discuss

Identification of OAU. Give aims of OAU in brief. Weigh the failures against achievements of OAU Standpoint required.

On May 25th 1963, at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, the Pan African Movement registered a sound achievement when the Casablanca and the Monrovia groups brought their heads into 'one thinking cup' and formed the Organisation of African Unity [OAU], a continental body together with other independent African states.

Failures

The OAU was essentially an organization created by and for the African petty bourgeoisie [the elite]. This fact was deary observable in the Assembly of Heads of state and Government, the supreme organ of OAU.

The organisation registered limited success in preventing political instability.

Furthermore, OAU failed also to find a solution to the phenomenon of military coups.

Mobutu in Congo was busy eliminating his political rivals in the name of legality.

 

OAU failed to destroy neo-colonialism. The decolonisation process just ended in achievement of "flag independence" by African states.

About 8 members strongly endorsed the role of the Soviet bloc and Cuba in the then conflicts, about 12 members condemned all forms of intervention (Soviet Union and Cuba) but instead favoured greater Western involvement, while majority members remained true to principles of NAM but accepted foreign intervention in particular situations.

OAU failed to deal with the problem of colonial languages. This was a great failure that the even the African Union has inherited. The language issue balkanized the thinking of the OAU Secretariat [the same was expected to face the AU Commission].

The Organisation failed to raise funds for its own upkeep and to finance its continental activities. Amara Essy, the last OAU Secretary General admitted that at the July 2001 OAU Summit in Lusaka, a recommendation was passed to effect improved payment and working conditions but the funds were not ready; as a result many qualified people were leaving the OAU to join other organisations.

By 2002, over 54.5m dollars was in arrears [some member countries had not yet paid their dues apart from Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia, South Africa.]

The organisation was also short of funds for the transition process to the African Union. Its 2002 budget for election observation was enough to observe one election and yet there were more than 12 elections scheduled for that year.

The organisation did not address the problem of political assassination.

IDI AMIN, was the chairman of OAU while at the same time killing thousands of Ugandans. The Organization never condemned him.

The OAU's charter did not provide for regular meetings of OAU.

The OAU failed to maintain the policy of Non-alignment.

The reluctancy to implement the idea of United States of Africa was a failure of OAU.

Group solidarity/teamwork eluded the OAU in its policy towards Apartheid in South Africa. Though nearly the rest of Africa was free from colonial rule, South Africa was still under the Apartheid regime.

Related to the above, the Liberation Committee of OAU lacked secrecy in its activities. In 1966, the assembly of heads of state and governments decided that all reports of the committee were to be distributed to OAU member states except Malawi, which was pro-South African policy. All these reports, surprisingly, found their way to the white ruled South Africa!

OAU failed to put in place an African Parliament.

Even the idea of forming an African High Command went unheeded; [the idea had been Nkrumah's brainchild and first came into prominence at the time of the Katanga war of secession.

OAU failed to achieve effective economic integration. African states produce similar primary products hence failing to get market internally.

OAU failed to improve conditions of refugees. Its convention to cater for the refugee crisis registered limited success.

Another failure registered by the organisation was to do with New Partnership for Africa's development (NEPAD). The OAU failed to make NEPAD operate within its [OAU] structures.