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African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) is a union consisting of 55 African states. Its goal is to promote political and economic cooperation on the continent.

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All Content on this topic

USA | Was bedeutet der neue „Pakt für die Zukunft“ der UNO für Afrika?

What does the new UN 'Pact for the Future' mean for Africa?

World leaders have adopted a "Pact for the Future" to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
PoliticsSeptember 26, 202402:16 min
Kenia Street Debate Nairobi

The 77 Percent: - Street Debate Kenya: Gen Z protests

The 77 Percent talks to young Kenyans about the protests, the state's response and where this could all be heading.
Law and JusticeJuly 24, 202426:03 min
Südafrika Protest der Organisation BDS gegen Israel

Where do African countries stand on Palestine 'statehood'?

More and more countries are taking the step of recognizing Palestine as a state. Where do African countries stand?
PoliticsMay 29, 202401:27 min
Symbolbild I Bildung in Afrika

Pan-African Parliament in focus

The legislature of the African Union is back in the spotlight now that its leadership vacuum is resolved.
PoliticsMarch 29, 202429:59 min
A server holds a tray containing five plates of food

In Ghana, unpopular grain fonio takes center stage

People from all over the world are flocking to try this Ghanaian chef's dining experience centered around a local grain.
LifestyleMarch 23, 202404:45 min
DW Sendung Afrimaxx

Afrimaxx - Modern African Lifestyle

The God of Marrabenta, an unpopular grain to rock the tables, and a truly head turning accessories brand from Lagos.
LifestyleMarch 22, 202426:04 min
DW afrimaxx 22.03.2024 - Stewart Sukuma

Meet the God of Marrabenta

Stewart Sukuma is one of the most renowned Mozambican artists of all time.
MusicMarch 22, 202404:53 min
external

The 20th century's first genocide in Namibia

German troops went from fighting OvaHerero and Nama to causing the 20th century's first genocide.
HistoryMarch 14, 202401:34 min
Woman wearing cleaning gloves

Congo: From cleaning rags to business riches

How a DRC entrepreneur started cleaning houses and turned it into a multi-city business.
BusinessMarch 7, 202403:24 min
DW 77 Percent | Edith Kimani at the 77 Percent Street Debate

Street Debate: Are our gender roles outdated?

Should women be left alone to run the house and raise the kids? We asked young Liberians how they handle gender roles.
SocietyMarch 7, 202409:36 min
DW Sendung The 77 Percent | #207

KAZ: Equality in relationships

Should we stick to traditional gender roles in relationships? KAZ reacts to our Street Debate.
SocietyMarch 5, 202403:23 min
The 77 Percent Magazine #207

The 77 Percent - The Magazine for Africa's Youth

Should gender roles define how we live and how traditional are young Africans in their relationships?
SocietyMarch 1, 202426:05 min
Still DW Beitrag Afrimaxx-Sendung 01032024 | Miss South Africa

Miss South Africa on mental health and depression

Natasha Joubert's Crown of Resilience: how to overcome depression.
HealthMarch 1, 202405:13 min
Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attends the a summt ofAfrican Union (AU) leaders, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on February 17, 2024

Somalia accuses Ethiopia of seeking to annex Somaliland

Ethiopia and the breakaway region of Somaliland signed a deal leasing Mogadishu the land to build a port and naval base.
PoliticsFebruary 17, 2024
Logo Afrikanische Union

AU Summit: Can leaders tackle the continent's challenges?

The AU has had a rough start to 2024 amid worsening regional violence and democratic backsliding among members.
PoliticsFebruary 16, 202430:00 min
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a ministerial meeting

Brazil's Lula aims to bolster geopolitical ties with Africa

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is seeking to deepen economic and geopolitical ties with Africa.
PoliticsFebruary 15, 2024
77 Percent Sendung #185

The 77 Percent - The Magazine for Africa's Youth

We look into a topic that isn't spoken about very openly on the African continent, and that is sex!
HealthFebruary 13, 202426:05 min
Senegalese demonstrators shout slogans on the streets of the capital Dakar.

Is Senegal's democracy under threat?

Senegal is considered one of West Africa's most stable democracies. But an election delay threatens to erode gains.
PoliticsFebruary 6, 2024
Italien-Afrika Gipfel in Rom

Does Italy’s new plan work for Africa?

Italy's "Mattei Plan," called ‘a partnership between equals,’ is already ruffling feathers in Africa.
TradeFebruary 5, 202403:32 min
Tanks moving down a street in Gaza City

African countries assert their role in global politics

African nations are taking an increasingly individualistic approach to foreign policy, at odds with global powers.
PoliticsDecember 27, 2023
Ägypten Sharm el-Sheikh | COP27 Klimagipfel Protest

Reparations for colonial-era crimes.

Some Africans are starting to agitate harder for reparations for colonial-era crimes.
PoliticsNovember 17, 202329:58 min
Children and a white dove among the rubble in Gaza after an Israeli missile attack

Israel-Hamas conflict divides opinion in Africa

There are calls in Africa for dialogue and protection of civilians caught in the conflict.
ConflictsOctober 12, 2023
Indien Neu-Delhi | G20 Gipfel | Präsident Joko Widodo

AfricaLink on Air — 11 September 2023

G20 admits African Union as permanent member+++Zambian president in China
PoliticsSeptember 11, 202330:00 min
Modi waves as he arrives at Bharat Mandapam convention center for the G20 Summit

AU to join G20 as India boosts Global South

By helping the African Union earn a seat at the G20 table, India has emerged as a champion of the Global South.
PoliticsSeptember 9, 2023
This video grab taken from Gabon 24 on August 30, 2023 shows Gabonese soldiers carrying General Brice Oligui Nguema, head of the presidential guard of ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba

African Union suspends Gabon after military coup

The military leaders said strongman Brice Oligui Nguema would be sworn in next week as "transitional president."
PoliticsAugust 31, 2023
General Brice Oligui Nguema

AfricaLink on Air - 30 August 2023

Gambia's military ousts President Ali Bongo+++AU urges safety for ousted president+++Bongo appeals for help from
PoliticsAugust 30, 202329:59 min
Narendra Modi speaking at the summit in New Delhi

India's Modi calls for African Union to join G20

India said it wants to bring more countries from the so-called Global South to the G20, including the African Union.
PoliticsAugust 27, 2023
Ghana Symbolbild ECOWAS Fahnen

African Union suspends Niger over coup

The AU said the suspension would remain in place until civilian rule in the country is restored.
PoliticsAugust 22, 2023
Niger President Mohamed Bazoum arrives at the Sharm El Sheikh International Convention Centre, in Egypt's Red Sea resort of the same name, on November 7, 2022

Ousted Niger president held in 'poor conditions,' warns AU

The bloc has expressed its concern for the health of President Mohamed Bazoum and called for his release.
PoliticsAugust 11, 2023
Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema visits a church at a site of a mass grave, in the town of Bucha as part of a delegation of African leaders on a peace mission to Ukraine

African leaders in Ukraine to push for peace talks

African leaders are visiting Ukraine and Russia to find some middle ground for the parties to start peace talks.
ConflictsJune 16, 2023
Äthiopien 60. Jahrestag der Afrikanische Union (AU)

AfricaLink on Air — 26 May 2023

DW's AfricaLink Special Edition on the Africa Day
PoliticsMay 26, 202329:59 min
African Union soldiers at an army base in, Baidoa, Somali on May 1, 2017

Somalia: Al-Shabab raids African Union army base

The death toll from the attack on the garrison, southwest of the capital Mogadishu, has not yet been confirmed.
ConflictsMay 26, 2023
Äthiopien | African Union Gipfel in Addis Ababa | Gruppenbild

AfricaLink on Air - 25 May 2023

AU celebrates 60 years+++Rising concerns as thousands of Kenyan children go missing
SocietyMay 25, 202329:59 min
Plenary hall of AU in Addis Abeba

Is the AU failing in its role as a mediator?

After 60 years of existence, the African Union has gained a reputation as a paper tiger, mainly due historical reasons.
PoliticsMay 25, 2023
Ruanda Regen Überschwemmung Katastrophe

AfricaLink on Air — 04 May 2023

Deadly floods in Rwanda and Uganda +++ Germany's chancellor Scholz in East Africa +++ Uganda's anti-LGBTQ legislation
PoliticsMay 4, 202329:59 min
A group of men sitting around a tree

Sudan crisis: Ethiopia seeks peace talks

Experts say that Sudan's neighbor, Ethiopia, should take a stronger leadership role in seeking peace talks.
PoliticsApril 26, 2023
Smoke rises in the background as a car drives along an almost deserted street in Khartoum, Sudan

Sudan clashes leave more than 60 dead

A battle for control between rival forces in Sudan has turned deadly and sparked international alarm.
ConflictsApril 17, 2023
Workers carry sacks of grain in a warehouse run by the World Food Program in Abala, Ethiopia, on June 9, 2022.

Africa: IMF sounds alarm on declining aid, rising debt

The International Monetary Fund warned that a "big funding squeeze" was slowing growth in sub-Saharan Africa.
BusinessApril 14, 2023
Supporters of Kenya's opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) One Kenya Alliance throw stones at riot police.

Kenya protests: Tanzanian traders wary of impact to business

Tanzanian traders doing business with Kenya have told DW that weekly protests are negatively affecting their business.
PoliticsApril 1, 2023
Supporters of Ousmane Sonko with poster of his

Senegal: Supporters of opposition leader protest trial

Supporters say charges against Ousmane Sonko are the latest attempt by the government to curb his political ambitions.
Rule of LawMarch 15, 2023
A woman walks on a flooded street, with a fallen tree in the background, in Quelimane, Mozambique

Cyclone Freddy lashes Mozambique and Malawi, killing scores

Cyclone Freddy set a world record for the longest-lasting tropical storm over the weekend.
Nature and EnvironmentMarch 13, 2023
Tunisian women demonstrate against racism, holding signes reading 'We are all Africans'

Tunisia: Presidential scapegoating stokes fear and support

Saied has scapegoated migrants as part of a crackdown, but protests and calls for an apology give hope as well.
PoliticsMarch 1, 2023
A French soldier in Burkina Faso, November 5, 2019

Burkina Faso orders French troops to leave

Relations between the countries suffered following the army's takeover in Burkina Faso in September.
ConflictsJanuary 22, 2023
A teacher at a school against a poster on the wall with information on how to defeat Ebola virus, October 27, 2022

Uganda declares end to Ebola outbreak

Uganda put two districts under lockdown, but ramped up contact tracing elsewhere, ultimately defeating the virus.
HealthJanuary 11, 2023
Redwan Hussein, Representative of the Ethiopian government, and Getachew Reda, Representative of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), sign a peace agreement between the two parties (illustration)

Tigray forces start handing over heavy weapons in Ethiopia

The implementation of the peace agreement signed to end one of the "deadliest conflicts worldwide" has begun.
ConflictsJanuary 11, 2023
Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and Former Deputy President of South Africa Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka

Former African leaders' mediation efforts under scrutiny

Previous presidents play a significant role in mediating conflicts in Africa, but some lack a grasp of the complexities.
PoliticsDecember 19, 2022
Man holding Ethiopian national flags during a pro-government rally

Will Ethiopia's shaky Tigray truce hold?

Mediators are hoping fresh talks in Nairobi this week will strengthen ongoing efforts to end the Tigray conflict.
ConflictsNovember 8, 2022
Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta applauds Ethiopian government representative Redwan Hussien and Tigray delegate Getachew Reda

Cease-fire agreed to stop Ethiopia's Tigray conflict

After previous truces failed, there is cautious optimism about the latest deal meant to end the two-year conflict.
ConflictsNovember 3, 2022
A destroyed tank is seen in a field in the aftermath of fighting between the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces in Kasagita town, in Afar region, Ethiopia, February 25, 2022.

AU announces peace deal in Ethiopia's Tigray conflict

The deal came hours after Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed claimed his forces were close to "winning".
ConflictsNovember 2, 2022
A damaged tank stands on a road north of Mekele, the capital of Tigray

Ethiopia-Tigray peace talks open in South Africa

Peace talks to end conflict in the Tigray regions of Ethiopia have begun after a surge in violence in recent weeks.
ConflictsOctober 25, 2022