‘Weak by design’ African Union gathers for summit in Ethiopia
MULTILATERAL ORGANISATIONS
14 FEBRUARY 2026
- The African Union (AU), the 55 member States organisation, is holding its annual summit in Ethiopia in February 2026, at a time when the continent faces:
- Ongoing war in Sudan
- Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Expanding insurgencies across the Sahel
- A surge of military coups since 2020
- Analysts argue that the AU is facing perhaps its most severe credibility crisis since its creation in 2002.
Suspended members of A.U.
- Sudan: Suspended following a coup and ongoing civil war.
- Mali: Suspended due to multiple military coups.
- Guinea: Suspended following a military coup.
- Burkina Faso: Suspended following a military coup.
- Niger: Suspended in August 2023 after a military coup.
- Gabon: Suspended in August 2023 following a military coup.
- Madagascar: Suspended due to a coup, as of late 2025.
- Guinea-Bissau: Suspended on 29 November 2025 following a coup.
Key Concerns:
- Structural Weaknesses
- The AU has 55 member States, many of whom are on opposing sides of regional conflicts
- Members resist granting the AU stronger enforcement authority and have blocked reforms that would allow it to intervene decisively
- As a result, the AU remains underfunded, under-equipped and politically constrained.
- Financial Dependence
- The AU has repeatedly failed to meet deadlines (2020 and 2025) to become self-financing.
- Currently around 64% of its annual budget comes from external donors, mainly the United States and the European Union.
- Both are reportedly reducing funding support.
- This financial dependence limits the AU’s autonomy and operational capacity.
- Coup Dilemmas
- Since 2020, Africa has seen at least 10 military coups.
- The AU’s charter prohibits coup leaders from contesting elections.
- However, the AU has often avoided enforcing this rule strictly. Political realities have forced it into compromise.
- This has weakened its normative authority.
- Election Controversies
- The AU has also been criticised for its responses to disputed elections.
- Examples include congratulating Samia Suluhu Hassan of Tanzania after a 98% electoral victory in a controversial vote.
- AU praised elections in Burundi, which rights groups described as repressive.
- Human rights organisations argue that the AU’s election monitoring has lacked firmness in condemning irregularities.
