Enlargement of the African Union

When the African Union (AU) was founded in 2001, it represented almost the entire African continent. As the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), founded in 1963, its membership was inherited from that body. Currently, the AU has the same 53 member states as when it was founded. Growth in the OAU typically came from post-colonial independence; as decolonization ended, the borders of the OAU had overlapped almost all of Africa.

Membership

of the Constitutive Act of the African Union (ratified July 11, 2000), states:
#Any African State may, at any time after the entry into force of this Act, notify the Chairman of the Commission of its intention to accede to this Act and to be admitted as a member of the Union.
#The Chairman of the Commission shall, upon receipt of such notification, transmit copies thereof to all Member States. Admission shall be decided by a simple majority of the Member States. The decision of each Member State shall be transmitted to the Chairman of the Commission who shall, upon receipt of the required number of votes, communicate the decision to the State concerned.The following two articles discuss the suspension and cessation of membership::Governments which shall come to power through unconstitutional means shall not be allowed to participate in the activities of the Union.and
#Any State which desires to renounce its membership shall forward a written notification to the Chairman of the Commission, who shall inform Member States thereof. At the end of one year from the date of such notification, if not withdrawn, the Act shall cease to apply with respect to the renouncing State, which shall thereby cease to belong to the Union.
#During the period of one year referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, any Member State wishing to withdraw from the Union shall comply with the provisions of this Act and shall be bound to discharge its obligations under this Act up to the date of its withdrawal.The former of these two clauses has only applied to Mauritania after its 2005 coup d'etat and Togo. Madagascar was suspended during the dissolution of the OAU and formation of the AU (2001-2003). The only state to leave the OAU/AU was Morocco, who withdrew in 1984, following the admission of Western Sahara's Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1982. It is the only African state not currently an AU member.

Chronology

*Founding Members of the OAU: May 25, 1963
**flagcountry|Algeria
**flagcountry|Burundi
**flagcountry|Cameroon|1961
**flagcountry|Central African Republic
**flagcountry|Chad
**flagcountry|Republic of the Congo
**flagcountry|Democratic Republic of the Congo|1960Known as Zaire from 1971-1997.]
**flagcountry|BeninKnown as Dahomey until 1975.]
**flagcountry|Egypt|UAR
**flagcountry|Ethiopia|1897
**flagcountry|Gabon
**flagcountry|Ghana
**flagcountry|Guinea
**flagcountry|Côte d'IvoireKnown by its translated name (in English, "Ivory Coast"), until 1985.]
**flagcountry|Liberia
**flagcountry|Libya
**flagcountry|MadagascarSuspended from December 2001-July 10, 2003.]
**flagcountry|Mali
**flagcountry|MauritaniaSuspended August 4, 2005, after a military coup. Presidential elections were held in March, 2007.]
**flagcountry|Morocco (withdrew November 12, 1984)
**flagcountry|Niger
**flagcountry|Nigeria
**flagcountry|Rwanda|1962
**flagcountry|Senegal
**flagcountry|Sierra Leone
**flagcountry|Somalia
**flagcountry|Sudan
**flagcountry|TanganyikaTanganyika and Zanzibar merged April 26, 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar, which was renamed Tanzania November 1 1964.]
**flagcountry|Togo [Suspended from February 25, 2005 after concerns over unconstitutional presidential appointment. Presidential elections were held May 4, 2005.]
**flagcountry|Tunisia
**flagcountry|Uganda
**flagcountry|Republic of Upper Volta (Burkina Faso)Known as Upper Volta until 1984.]
**flagcountry|Zanzibar
*December 13, 1963
**flagcountry|Kenya
*July 13, 1964
**flagcountry|Malawi
*November 1, 1964
**flagcountry|Tanzania
*December 16, 1964
**flagcountry|Zambia
*October 1965
**flagcountry|The Gambia
*October 31, 1966
**flagcountry|Botswana
**flagcountry|Lesotho|1966
*August, 1968
**flagcountry|Mauritius
*September 24, 1968
**flagcountry|Swaziland
*October 12, 1968
**flagcountry|Equatorial Guinea
*November 19, 1973
**flagcountry|Guinea-Bissau
*February 11, 1975
**flagcountry|Angola
*July 18, 1975
**flagcountry|Cape Verde|1975
**flagcountry|Comoros|1978
**flagcountry|Mozambique
**flagcountry|São Tomé and Príncipe
*June 29, 1976
**flagcountry|Seychelles|1976
*June 27, 1977
**flagcountry|Djibouti
*June 1980
**flagcountry|Zimbabwe
*February 22, 1982
**SADR
*June 1990
**flagcountry|Namibia
*May 24, 1993
**flagcountry|Eritrea
*June 6, 1994
**flagcountry|South Africa

Possible growth

The only African state which could join (or more precisely re-activate its membership) is Morocco. On the African continent, the only dependencies that remain are the Spanish autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. These territories would very likely never achieve independence; they are more likely to be ceded to the Kingdom of Moroccowho, and the two states have had diplomatic tension over these regions since Moroccan independence in 1956.

Off-shore islands which could otherwise be considered African include France's French Southern Territories, Mayotte, Réunion, and various islands in the Indian Ocean; most are uninhabited and there is a possibility that Mayotte will join Comoros or Réunion will be ceded to Mauritius, but none of these territories would likely become independent. Portugal's Madeira islands are also likely to remain an autonomous community. Spain's uninhabited plazas de soberanía, and the Canary Islands are off the coast of north Africa. The latter will likely remain an autonomous community, but Morocco has expressed interest in both.

The United Kingdom's British Indian Ocean Territory is closer to Africa than any other continent and is claimed by Mauritius, making secession to that state a possibility. In addition, the UK's islands of Ascension, Saint Helena and Tristan da Cunha (administered together) are closest to Africa and might be a possible candidate for future membership.

outhern Sudan

By the terms of the 2005 Naivasha Agreement [http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EVIU-6AZBDB?OpenDocument The Comprehensive Peace Agreement between The Government of The Republic of The Sudan and The Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Sudan People's Liberation Army] (Al-Jazeera) 31 December 2003] , Southern Sudan received autonomy from the Sudanese government, against which the Sudan People's Liberation Army had fought for over two previous decades. A six-year transition period ensued, to be followed by a 2011 referendum in which the citizens of Southern Sudan will decide whether or not to attain full independence from the government in Khartoum. However, there has been no formal discussion on whether or not, upon the possible passing of the referendum, Southern Sudan will file an application for admittance into the African Union.

Darfur

While it is a primarily ethnic conflict, the Darfur conflict has gained a political dynamic in recent years, as the region has been traditionally distant from the Khartoum government until recent times. Until 1916, when it was forcibly integrated into the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium, Darfur had exercised a high degree of autonomy apart from the ruling colonial government; relations between the region and the government deteriorated after Sudan's independence in 1956. One of the leading rebel groups in Darfur, the Sudan Liberation Movement, originally started as a secessionist group, but later changed its goal to that of overthrowing the Khartoum regime. Furthermore, the African Union has stationed a small peacekeeping mission in the region, a mission which has experienced multiple difficulties in the maintenance of stability in the region. An explicit bid for independence by the rebels, as of 2007, remains to be seen, thus precluding any hints of a theoretical "Republic of Darfur" joining the African Union for the time being.

"For other areas, see the African section at the List of active autonomist and secessionist movements."

References

ee also

* Foreign relations of the African Union
* List of African Union member states by political system
* Enlargement of the European Union

External links

* [http://www.africa-union.org/ The official AU site]