Sudan in flames, Sahel under siege: Why the AU fails Africa

The African Union (AU) has condemned the "war crimes and crimes against humanity" committed in Sudan, a country ravaged by war since April 2023, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of 12 million people.

While the Sudanese army controls the east and north of the country, paramilitary forces maintain a firm grip on Darfur, home to a quarter of Sudan’s 50 million people. The AU's Peace and Security Council, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, recently held a meeting on the ongoing war.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the AU expressed "deep concern over the escalating conflict" between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, and the Sudanese army, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The AU particularly denounced "the continuous perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity".

Several nations, including the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia, have called for a humanitarian truce during Ramadan, which begins at the end of February.

A Toothless Organization with Limited Influence

While the AU’s statements on Sudan are necessary, the organization’s voice carries little weight, and its influence remains minimal. Instead of taking decisive action on the continent’s most pressing crises, the AU chooses to focus on external issues, particularly accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza, while neglecting Africa’s own deep-rooted conflicts.

The AU has failed to seriously address the Sudanese war, the rise of terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel, the chaos in Libya, or the endless violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Despite its mandate to promote peace and security, the AU lacks concrete initiatives to prevent or resolve these crises.

The AU’s failure to tackle Africa’s real security threats stems from its political alignment with the so-called Global South, where rhetoric against the West and Israel often takes precedence over tangible action on African conflicts. 

Instead of pushing for regional stability, better governance, and stronger peacekeeping efforts, the AU prefers symbolic gestures and diplomatic condemnations that have little impact.

If the AU truly wants to be an effective organization, it must prioritize Africa’s urgent crises rather than diverting attention to conflicts that do not directly affect the continent. 

The war in Sudan, the spread of jihadist insurgencies, and the growing instability in multiple African regions demand strong diplomatic action, economic strategies, and security interventions—not empty declarations.

Until the AU recognizes its own weaknesses and takes meaningful steps to address Africa’s crises, it will remain a symbolic institution with little real power, overshadowed by the very conflicts it was created to prevent.