With the requirement of the modern world to play a role at the global level, Africa had to position itself in balancing its stakes. Experts discuss the role of the African Union (AU) in achieving the interests of member countries at the global stage. The AU has to position itself as a center of influence that is serving the interests of all Africans. It offers avenues of “differentiation and resistance” towards superpowers that negatively affect the interests of the continent.
AU has been endeavoring to achieve its appropriate mission in shaping and influencing the international political arena in favor of the African countries, including Ethiopia. In this regard, Ethiopia has also been using its diplomatic strategy in strengthening the AU’s position at the global stage. Its ambition is in line with the aspiration to surpass the regional confines of the organization.
This is an assertion of the right of a regional institution to become a full-fledged actor in the global political arena. Ethiopia is fully behind achieving the AU’s strong position at both the continental and international levels.
Experts have analyzed the different strategies in which the AU is determined to achieve its goal of accessing global political influence. In particular, they have looked at the practical approach through which the AU should seek to achieve global status and strengthen its political influence.
In this regard, it has its influence-building strategy using the regular AU summits created for offering its member countries a forum for “North-South and East-West dialogue.” This medium allows the AU to play its role on the global stage and build a strong, powerful and useful solidarity between the rich and the poor countries.
The idea was to use Pan-African instruments for sharing, and achieving progress and modernization. This is possible through the design, development and implementation of concrete programs and projects in Africa.
In addition to these summits, ministerial conferences have also provided the AU with a platform to express itself. It has presented itself as a real force in the global political forum.
The AU has become a contending entity to the UN on issues that are related to the people residing in the continent. The African ministerial conferences have provided the African member states with an arena to present and discuss issue that seriously affect the continent and its relationship to the rest of the world.
Nevertheless, in consolidating its ambition of high influence and efficiency through multilateral agencies, it is absolutely necessary for the AU to adapt and adjust to current and pertinent political issues.
Experts advise that it needs to make a concerted effort to act on the recommendations adopted at ministerial conferences. This measure would enable member states to revitalize and encourage the AU’s political solidarity.
It also chases away perceptions and misconceptions of a center-periphery divide within the organization. Experts advise that this divisive approach by external entities should be checked as early as possible before it spreads across the continent and create suspicions and disillusionment among member states of the AU.
Experts point out that most African countries have immense unrealized potential for socioeconomic development. However, a considerable part of the continent consists of very poor and underdeveloped countries. It is revealed that about 70% of poorest countries in the world are in Africa. It is also pointed out that these countries suffer from economies that are not competitive.
Moreover, they suffer from very high levels of debt burden and chronic poverty. These socioeconomic situations do not place the AU in a favorable position within the global community, which in turn tries to undermine pan-African endeavors to deal with the challenges of the contemporary world.
Experts also point out that the current state of affairs has been a major obstacle for the AU in balancing global power. It is obvious that a few African countries are flourishing economically, but the level of economic growth and development has not been strong enough to make the AU an influential factor at the global level. Added to this situation is the obstacle to the placing of the AU as an element of balance within the global community.
The AU is making tremendous efforts to build an integrated pan-African economic space within the international community. However, it is faced with obstacle which can be attributed to the lack of a pan-African institutional capacity for regional economic integration, growth and advancement.
Africa has immense human and technical potential as well as tremendous raw material deposits. Almost all African countries have failed to transform this potential into a productive wealth due to lack of stronger economic and commercial exchanges within the global markets.
Assessing the future trend, it is imperative that African countries should focus on clear goals and programs that open up specific areas of regional economic development. Experts believe that there is an urgent need to rethink the role of the African bloc in building power at the global level.
In this regard, the AU may reveal to the rest of the world the fact of its accelerating population growth and extracting resources to assert global influence.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY GETACHEW MINAS
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 30 MAY 2025
