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Paper short abstract:

This paper is an attempt to examine the role that the African Union is playing in the essential area of conflict management in Africa.

Paper long abstract:

As the continent with the highest number of existing conflicts, Africa must invest heavily in conflict prevention, resolution and management in order to move towards the desired goal of regional integration, political stability and economic growth. In this regard, the African Union (AU) provides a veritable platform, not only for the identification, resolution and management of potential and real cross-national conflicts, but also a framework for multilayer co-operation, partnerships and integration between governments and multinational actors across the continent.

This paper is an attempt to examine the role that the African Union is playing in the essential area of conflict management in Africa. To this end, the paper will focus on the identification of the causes of conflicts in Africa and on the assessment of AU's performance in the management and resolution of various conflicts, especially with a view to better capacity building and enhancement of the organization's extant capabilities. Specifically, this paper is of the opinion that indigenous conflict management techniques built upon traditional communication systems should be incorporated in a new approach to conflict management, if the African Union is desirous of making meaningful impact on regional peace and security.

In our rapidly changing world, even local conflicts now assume international dimensions and the relevance of international organizations and transnational corporations in finding lasting solutions to conflicts is becoming pervasive and undeniable. This paper is intended to serve as a contribution to the growing search for viable and effective means of conflict resolution and management, especially in Africa.