African Union summit opens as youth anger grows over 'bloc of old leaders'

Africa's apical determination assemblage is hosting its yearly acme successful Ethiopia this play to sermon the aboriginal of the continent of immoderate 1.4 cardinal people, but crossed the continent the organisation is becoming little popular.

Set up to “promote the unity and solidarity of the African States”, analysts accidental the African Union is facing a legitimacy situation among the continent's younker aft failing to conscionable their expectations.

African countries are battling subject coups, disputed elections and protests inspired by hardship worsened by overseas assistance cuts.

'A bloc of aged leaders'

Africa has the youngest colonisation successful the world, with much than 400 cardinal radical aged 15 to 35 years old. But it is besides location to respective of the world's oldest and longest-serving leaders — a paradox that has contributed to an upsurge successful coups.

With a young colonisation acceptable to treble by 2050, it is the lone rapidly increasing portion wherever its radical are getting poorer. In antithetic countries and connected societal media, African youths presumption the AU arsenic a bloc of aged leaders and 1 which sees their interests arsenic little of a priority.

The organisation has missed opportunities to beryllium people-centred and citizen-driven and has alternatively focused mostly connected governments and leaders, said Liesl Louw-Vaudran, a elder expert with the Crisis Group.

“What the younker is truly asking and wherefore radical are frustrated is due to the fact that this is not an African Union for citizens. It's not a people-driven African Union,” Ms. Louw-Vaudran added.

Elections are 1 illustration of the AU's loopholes

As respective African countries held elections for caller Presidents implicit the past year, determination was a wide signifier of sidelined Opposition candidates, disputed results and protests from mostly young voters aft incumbents were reelected.

Despite the predetermination outcomes, the AU was often accused of being speedy to broadside with reelected incumbents and dilatory to telephone retired flawed processes.

As authorities successful Uganda unopen down the net and clamped down connected the absorption during the East African country's statesmanlike predetermination successful January, the African Union Commission issued a connection “commending” the behaviour of the poll.

A time after, the AU predetermination perceiver ngo issued a preliminary study noting “reports of harassment, intimidation and apprehension of absorption leaders, candidates, supporters' media and civic nine actors” successful the election.

The AU societal media station commending the predetermination enraged galore youths, with 1 idiosyncratic retorting: “Dictatorship nine has spoken.”

One cardinal situation the AU has battled with implicit the years is anemic enforcement of resolutions, according to Macharia Munene, a prof of past astatine the United States International University successful Nairobi. And that's due to the fact that "not each members conscionable their dues oregon afloat judge what is mostly decided,” helium said.

An AU Summit coming amid a caller satellite bid

At the 39th African Union Summit being held successful Ethiopia's superior of Addis Ababa connected Saturday (February 14, 2026) and Sunday (February 15, 2026), the taxable is h2o and sanitation. Discussions volition diagnostic the continent's effect to clime alteration and humanitarian crises pursuing overseas assistance cuts from planetary partners specified arsenic the United States.

Observers accidental the AU Summit volition supply an accidental to align continental priorities with planetary partners, particularly astatine a clip of discussions astir a caller satellite order, stirred by US President Donald Trump, with overseas leaders signalling shifting planetary alliances.

Still, critics impulse the African Union to look inward by paying person attraction to the continent's astir pressing challenges and doing much to clasp leaders accountable erstwhile they neglect to conscionable expectations.

In Nigeria's superior of Abuja, nonmigratory Chima Ekwueme said the African Union does not attraction astir holding leaders accountable, citing Nigeria's deadly information crises and economical hardship contempt its affluent mineral wealth.

“They are determination for their ain interests,” Ekwueme, 32, said of the AU. “In Nigeria, we person each it takes to enactment things successful bid (but) look astatine however hard things are and wherever is the AU.”