Editing Organisation of African Unity (section)

==Criticism and praise==
The organisation was widely derided as a bureaucratic "talking shop" with little power. It struggled to enforce its decisions, and its lack of armed force made intervention exceedingly difficult. [[Civil war]]s in Nigeria and Angola continued unabated for years, and the OAU could do nothing to stop them.

The policy of non-interference in the affairs of member states also limited the effectiveness of the OAU. Thus, when [[human rights]] were violated, as in [[Uganda]] under [[Idi Amin]] in the 1970s, the OAU was powerless to stop them.

The Organisation was praised by Ghanaian former [[United Nations Secretary-General]] [[Kofi Annan]] for bringing Africans together. Nevertheless, critics argue that, in its 39 years of existence, the OAU did little to protect the rights and liberties of African citizens from their own political leaders, often dubbing it as a "Dictators' Club"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2115736.stm|title=BBC News – World – Africa – African Union replaces dictators' club|first=Paul|last=Reynolds|website=news.bbc.co.uk|date=8 July 2002|access-date=8 August 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304011606/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2115736.stm|archive-date=4 March 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> or "Dictators' Trade Union".

The OAU was, however, successful in some respects. Many of its members were members of the UN, too, and they stood together within the latter organisation to safeguard African interests – especially in respect of lingering colonialism. Its pursuit of African unity, therefore, was in some ways successful.

Total unity was difficult to achieve, however, as the OAU was largely divided. The former French colonies, still dependent on [[France]], had formed the [[Monrovia Group]], and there was a further split between those that supported the United States and those that supported the [[USSR]] in the [[Cold War]] of ideologies. The pro-[[Socialist]] faction was led by Ghana's [[Kwame Nkrumah]], while [[Félix Houphouët-Boigny]] of the [[Ivory Coast]] led the pro-[[capitalism|capitalist]]s. Because of these divisions, it was difficult for the OAU to take action against states involved in internal conflicts because it could rarely reach an agreement on what was to be done.

The OAU did play a pivotal role in eradicating [[colonialism]] and white minority rule in Africa. It gave weapons, training and military bases to rebel groups fighting white minority and colonial rule. Groups such as the ANC and PAC, fighting [[apartheid]], and [[ZANU]] and [[ZAPU]], fighting to topple the government of [[Rhodesia]], were aided in their endeavours by the OAU. African harbours were closed to the South African government, and South African aircraft were prohibited from flying over the rest of the continent. The UN was convinced by the OAU to expel South Africa from bodies such as the [[World Health Organization]].

The OAU also worked with the UN to ease refugee problems. It set up the [[African Development Bank]] for economic projects intended to make Africa financially stronger. Although all African countries eventually won their [[independence]], it remained difficult for them to become totally independent of their former colonisers. There was often continued reliance on the former colonial powers for economic aid, which often came with strings attached: loans had to be paid back at high interest-rates, and goods had to be sold to the aiders at low rates.

The US and Soviet Union intervened in post-colonial Africa in pursuit of their own objectives. Help was sometimes provided in the form of [[technology]] and aid-workers. Despite the goodwill and best intentions, the OAU consistently failed at its stated goal - that of the fight to keep "Westerners" (colonialists) out of, and only focus upon, African affairs. The Organisation still heavily depended on Western help (military and economic) to intervene in African affairs, despite African leaders' displeasure at dealing with the international community, especially Western countries.