Countering Constitutional Crises within the African Union Framework: Legality, Legitimacy and Suitability
The African Union (AU), which succeeded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002, is based on a strong legal and institutional framework that reinforces constitutionalism at national, regional and continental levels. This framework is a response to the failure of the OAU to tame autocratic te...
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Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
2022
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 https://doaj.org/article/2a9d210d4c824b8081f623f22598810d |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:2a9d210d4c824b8081f623f22598810d 2023-05-15T14:00:09+02:00 Countering Constitutional Crises within the African Union Framework: Legality, Legitimacy and Suitability Kwaku Agyeman-Budu 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 https://doaj.org/article/2a9d210d4c824b8081f623f22598810d DE EN FR ger eng fre Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 https://doaj.org/toc/2363-6270 2363-6270 doi:10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 https://doaj.org/article/2a9d210d4c824b8081f623f22598810d Recht in Afrika, Vol 25, Iss 1, Pp 30-52 (2022) Asia and Eurasia Africa Pacific Area and Antarctica KL-KWX article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 2023-03-19T01:29:27Z The African Union (AU), which succeeded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002, is based on a strong legal and institutional framework that reinforces constitutionalism at national, regional and continental levels. This framework is a response to the failure of the OAU to tame autocratic tendencies within its member states. It cements the organisation’s commitment to infuse the ideals, values and norms of constitutionalism into the conduct of domestic affairs and politics. The relevance of the framework stems from its ability, when adhered to by all member states, to prevent constitutional crises, many of which have a negative impact on national, regional and continental peace and security and often hinder the prospect of constitutional democracy. Using examples of AU interventions to stymie constitutional crises in the form of unconstitutional changes of government in the Central African Republic, Burundi and Southern Sudan, this paper highlights the dialectical relationship between constitutionalism, peace and security, which can ensure that AU interventions reinforce, rather than undermine, constitutional ideals. While noting the AU’s inability or unwillingness to apply this framework in all the constitutional crises it has been called upon to address, the article concludes that member states and the AU itself need to commit to the ideals of constitutionalism, otherwise the transformative constitutional framework will remain a mere paper tiger. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Pacific Recht in Afrika 25 1 30 52 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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German English French |
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Asia and Eurasia Africa Pacific Area and Antarctica KL-KWX |
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Asia and Eurasia Africa Pacific Area and Antarctica KL-KWX Kwaku Agyeman-Budu Countering Constitutional Crises within the African Union Framework: Legality, Legitimacy and Suitability |
topic_facet |
Asia and Eurasia Africa Pacific Area and Antarctica KL-KWX |
description |
The African Union (AU), which succeeded the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 2002, is based on a strong legal and institutional framework that reinforces constitutionalism at national, regional and continental levels. This framework is a response to the failure of the OAU to tame autocratic tendencies within its member states. It cements the organisation’s commitment to infuse the ideals, values and norms of constitutionalism into the conduct of domestic affairs and politics. The relevance of the framework stems from its ability, when adhered to by all member states, to prevent constitutional crises, many of which have a negative impact on national, regional and continental peace and security and often hinder the prospect of constitutional democracy. Using examples of AU interventions to stymie constitutional crises in the form of unconstitutional changes of government in the Central African Republic, Burundi and Southern Sudan, this paper highlights the dialectical relationship between constitutionalism, peace and security, which can ensure that AU interventions reinforce, rather than undermine, constitutional ideals. While noting the AU’s inability or unwillingness to apply this framework in all the constitutional crises it has been called upon to address, the article concludes that member states and the AU itself need to commit to the ideals of constitutionalism, otherwise the transformative constitutional framework will remain a mere paper tiger. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kwaku Agyeman-Budu |
author_facet |
Kwaku Agyeman-Budu |
author_sort |
Kwaku Agyeman-Budu |
title |
Countering Constitutional Crises within the African Union Framework: Legality, Legitimacy and Suitability |
title_short |
Countering Constitutional Crises within the African Union Framework: Legality, Legitimacy and Suitability |
title_full |
Countering Constitutional Crises within the African Union Framework: Legality, Legitimacy and Suitability |
title_fullStr |
Countering Constitutional Crises within the African Union Framework: Legality, Legitimacy and Suitability |
title_full_unstemmed |
Countering Constitutional Crises within the African Union Framework: Legality, Legitimacy and Suitability |
title_sort |
countering constitutional crises within the african union framework: legality, legitimacy and suitability |
publisher |
Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 https://doaj.org/article/2a9d210d4c824b8081f623f22598810d |
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Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
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Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_source |
Recht in Afrika, Vol 25, Iss 1, Pp 30-52 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 https://doaj.org/toc/2363-6270 2363-6270 doi:10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 https://doaj.org/article/2a9d210d4c824b8081f623f22598810d |
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https://doi.org/10.5771/2363-6270-2022-1-30 |
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Recht in Afrika |
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25 |
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30 |
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52 |
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