Challenges for the next AUC’s chairperson

In February 2025, East Africa will nominate candidates for the chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).

The incoming chairperson will inherit both tremendous potential and formidable challenges. This piece highlights these challenges, helping aspiring candidates and voting members to make informed decisions. 

The Kagame Report criticises the AU as not fit for purpose. Kagame argues the AU “has neither achieved its current objectives nor adjusted its organisation and is ill-equipped to carry out its mandate in its current form.”

Member states disagree on AU’s purpose. Some want the AU to focus on democracy, development, global diplomacy, and defence from external threats, while others want regional economic communities (RECs) to manage peace, security, and economic integration, leaving the AU to focus on global representation, continental standards, and trans-African infrastructure.

A well-mandated chairperson is essential for consensus. However, the AUC’s weak statutory authority and non-hierarchical governance structure hinder its effectiveness. Despite being the main administrative arm of the AU, the Commission lacks the legal and political power to oversee, enforce, and coordinate member states’ collective will.

The chairperson’s authority is also challenged internally when commissioners, elected based on campaign promises, do not align with the chairperson’s authority or vision, causing internal conflicts and lack of direction.

Operationally, the AUC suffers from significant resource constraints leading to reliance on partners, misalignment between AU priorities and donor agendas, and understaffed, underfunded and underperforming departments.

Corruption and mismanagement waste AUC’s limited resources, eroding trust and reducing contributions from member states and international partners. These challenges are exacerbated by excessive red tape and slow decision-making, impeded policy  implementation, demoralised staff, and rampant impunity,  hindering its effectiveness and reducing productivity.

The new chairperson must address the AU’s poor record of implementation of its decisions, with only 7 percent of assembly decisions fully executed, undermining its credibility. Kagame notes that “consistently failing to follow up on the implementation of the decisions we have made, the signal has been sent that they don’t matter.” 

Externally, the new chairperson will handle the challenges of big power politics, struggles for influence and dominance in Africa. The AU’s G20 membership, without a precise formula for generating a common African position on global economic issues, risks engendering competing interests and complicating policy focus.

Internal power struggles among nations like Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa create dependencies and divisions, undermining African unity. These dynamics hinder African solutions to problems, weakening negotiation power and the AU’s vision of a united Africa.

The AU’s relationship with RECs is strained by unclear roles and overlapping mandates, leading to competition and conflict. RECs like ECOWAS and SADC may prioritise regional interests over the AU’s broader goals. These power dynamics contribute to competitive relationships, with strong RECs resisting AU leadership, including on peace support operations and responses to military takeovers. The withdrawal of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso from ECOWAS highlights the negative impacts of external influence on regional integration. Recent coups in Chad, Mali, Guinea, Niger, Sudan, and Burkina Faso highlight eroding public confidence in democracy. Armed conflicts in South Sudan, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, exacerbated by non-state armed groups, further complicate the security landscape.

Severe climate shocks devastate agriculture, water resources, and livelihoods, stunted economic growth, and high unemployment will sustain these challenges to African integration.

Lastly, Africa faces significant challenges in achieving the free movement of people, goods, and services essential for economic integration and development. Restrictive visa policies and inadequate infrastructure hinder intra-continental trade and mobility. The AUC requires a bold, visionary leader with integrity, transparency, and accountability to navigate complex political landscapes, build consensus, and promote a united, self-reliant Africa. This leader must unite member states around a clear, actionable vision for a united, self-reliant Africa, promoting free movement, continental connectivity, sustainable development, climate adaptation, and economic diversification to drive growth and stability in Africa. Africa and the world are watching to see if East Africa has that leader to offer to Africa!

Dr Remember Miamingi, [email protected]