The AU: Quick and Easy

As many of us know, in the news lately in regard to Africa has been the madness in Libya and the finally (or apparently) quelled post-election violence in Ivory Coast. Who would you think is in charge bringing peaceful solutions to African disputes? Of course the UN can, may and has stepped in, but ultimately, the overseeing continental body is the African Union.

The African Union is pretty much the refurbished version of the Organization of African Nations. Since 2002, the AU has been noted for being far better than it's predecessor, especially in regard to handling African disputes. CNN International had a great rundown of this international group.

The most intriguing thing I found about the AU is how much influence Libya's current leader Moammar Gadhafi has monetarily. This might be a factor in determining what to do with Libya's current situation, but many of us hope not.

Considering how several African nations have been cited for long-term government corruption, my hope is this does not become a factor, especially since their is wide respect for the AU in the international community. And if the loss of Gadhafi's money were considered an issue, I can here the the corruption stereotypes all over every media group on the planet - and the respect that the AU has will die quicker than it was formed.

For the sake of the economic growth and political reform happening now in many African countries, let's hope the one group that unifies the continent continues to aid in disputes and economic growth and does not become another African corruption drama.