John Campbell

Africa in Transition

Campbell tracks political and security developments across sub-Saharan Africa.

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Showing posts for "African Union"

Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and South Africa’s HIV/AIDS Past

by John Campbell
South African diplomat and doctor Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma arrives at the leaders meeting at the African Union (AU) in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, July 16, 2012. (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters) South African diplomat and doctor Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma arrives at the leaders meeting at the African Union (AU) in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, July 16, 2012. (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters)

More people are living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa than in any other country, according to UNAIDS. It is about 11 percent of the total population, 17.18 percent of the population aged 15-49 years. There has been progress, but HIV/AIDS remains a salient feature of the South Africa landscape. Its effect on the most productive part of the population is devastating. Read more »

Malawi: Justice versus Impunity and the African Union

by Guest Blogger for John Campbell
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir attends the 16th African Union Summit, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, January 30, 2011. (Thomas Mukoya/Courtesy Reuters) Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir attends the 16th African Union Summit, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, January 30, 2011. (Thomas Mukoya/Courtesy Reuters)

This is a guest post by Asch Harwood. Asch is the Council on Foreign Relations Africa program research associate.

Malawi has decided not to host July’s African Union (AU) summit because of demands that Sudan’s al-Bashir be permitted to attend. It’s a heroic effort toward ending impunity on the continent. Read more »

Mali: A Dilemma for African Regional Organizations

by John Campbell
People from northern Mali march against the seizure or their home region by Tuareg and Islamist rebels, in the capital Bamako, April 10, 2012. (Joe Penney/Courtesy Reuters) People from northern Mali march against the seizure or their home region by Tuareg and Islamist rebels, in the capital Bamako, April 10, 2012. (Joe Penney/Courtesy Reuters)

The African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are opposed to the overthrow of legitimately constituted governments, especially by military coup. According to the press, ECOWAS army chiefs have been meeting in Abidjan to discuss possible intervention in Mali by a regional force. The AU and ECOWAS in principle are also unsympathetic to the breakup of countries, not least because once started, it is hard to see where it might end in a region with many ethnic and other divisions. Accordingly, the AU has denounced the “secession” of the Tuareg-dominated northern part of the country as proclaimed by a Tuareg spokesman in France in a “declaration of independence.” Both the French Minister of Defense and the AU have said that Tuareg protestations have no validity because they are recognized by no one. Read more »

Senegal Elections: A First Take

by John Campbell
A bottle of ink used to mark voters' fingers is seen on a table during presidential elections in the capital Dakar February 26, 2012. (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters) A bottle of ink used to mark voters' fingers is seen on a table during presidential elections in the capital Dakar February 26, 2012. (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters)

Preliminary reports from Senegal are that Sunday’s polling and subsequent ballot counting has gone well, though Western media concentrates on Dakar and other large cities. Nevertheless, an important, domestic NGO, RESOCIT, deployed more than two thousand local observers and concluded that there was an “astonishingly” low number of incidents of violence and fraud. Read more »

Thabo Mbeki on Sovereignty and Democracy in Africa

by John Campbell
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, delivers his public lecture at the Nyakuron cultural centre in Juba, Southern Sudan, January 7, 2011. (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters) Former South African President Thabo Mbeki, head of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel, delivers his public lecture at the Nyakuron cultural centre in Juba, Southern Sudan, January 7, 2011. (Stringer/Courtesy Reuters)

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki, in a February 16 lecture (PDF), reflects on the threat of Western re-colonization of Africa in the context of enduring racism as a way to encourage greater African unity. Read more »

South Africa Seeks African Union Leadership

by John Campbell
South Africa's Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma speaks during an interview in Moscow May 23, 2008. (Denis Sinyakov/Courtesy Reuters) South Africa's Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma speaks during an interview in Moscow May 23, 2008. (Denis Sinyakov/Courtesy Reuters)

President Jacob Zuma’s administration has mounted a full-court diplomatic press for Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma’s candidacy for the chairperson of the African Union Commission.  The commission, in effect, is the administrative arm of the African Union.  It implements AU policies and coordinates activities and meetings.  There are ten commissioners, and a chairperson is elected to a four year term.  The chairman does much to set the tone for the AU and has significant behind-the-scenes influence. Each member state has one vote, and election requires a two-thirds majority. Balloting will take place at the end of this month. The current chairman is Jean Ping from Gabon.  His predecessors were from Mali and Ivory Coast. Read more »