A Comparative Study of the European Union and the African Union: Foreign Policy, Strategy and Security Dimensions

Abstract

The African Union (AU) is modeled after the European Union (EU). The EU's success and realization of intergovernmental and supranational integrations have been made possible by the various functions of its institutions that govern member-states. With the exception of a few hiccups (the euro-zone crisis), the EU is a unique project among other existing regional organizations because of its maturity and sophistication. The EU development represents a complex process stretching over a half century. It was-and-still is admired by many regional communities struggling to emulate and replicate the successes of the EU. Africa leads the way with her decade-long formation of the African Union (AU). This paper examines how the AU's institutions and visions resemble those of the EU; discusses the rationale, performance and challenges facing the AU. The EU-AU's new strategic partnership will be compared and analyzed to understand how Europe-Africa work together to realize intra-regional objectives and confronts pressing challenges facing leader of the two unions on areas of foreign policy, trade, economics and security missions. The article poses a few questions: Will the new AU resemble OAU's an autocratic club? What have been some of successes failures of the AU since its inception? Will the AU in the foreseeable future resemble the maturity and sophistication of the EU? Will some of the AU's institutions-the Pan-African Parliament, a court of justice and a common currency come into fruition?