The African Union’s SmallSteps towardthe Promotion and Protection of Peace:(MythandReality of Buildinga Continental Public Policy of Peace)

Among other factors, the quest for the liberation of the African continent from the colonial yoke prompted the creation by African leaders of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, which became the pioneer African multilateral organization. The failure of the said organization in some of its missions and the advent of new challenges in the continent pushed African leaders to replace it with the African Union (AU) in 2002. How far has the African Union corrected the ills of its predecessor, especially in the field of the preservation of peace on the continent? The present article evaluates the actions taken by the African Union in the realm of continental peace since its creation in 2002. Addressing this fundamental issue of peace as a strategic approach, it is deemed necessary for the paper to be evaluated in two main parts. Part one regards the promotion and protection of peace by the African Union as a possible challenge construction. The difficulties, challenges encountered by the African Union have contributed to its failures in certain aspects relating to continental peace. In this perspective, part two elucidates the failures of the African Union towards continental peace. Still in this part, the way forward for better consolidation of peace is defined.