Middle East & Africa | Older and less wise

The African Union is less effective at 20 than it was at two

Its enforcement of democratic norms is slipping

Shouting coup in a crowded theatre
|ADDIS ABABA

IT WAS A birthday commemorated in style. In the heart of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, the seat of the African Union (AU), water fountains erupted and champagne glasses clinked as heads of state and assorted dignitaries tucked into a four-course meal to the sound of sultry jazz.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Older and less wise”

When the ride ends

From the February 12th 2022 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition

More from Middle East & Africa

Sudanese refugees in Chad

America concludes genocide has been committed in Sudan—again

The move highlights the magnitude of Sudan’s civil war but does little to end it

An inside view of the empty Baabda Palace

Lebanon tries yet again to elect a new president

But it will not be easy to convince its corrupt politicians to reform


A man sits in front of a destroyed building in Daraya suburb on December 25, 2024 in Damascus, Syria

The West is making a muddle of its Syria sanctions

Outsiders should be much clearer about how and when they will be lifted


Alawites formed Syria’s elite. Now they are terrified

Fear of reprisal stalks the heartlands of the Assad regime

From inside an obliterated Gaza, gunfire not a ceasefire

In north Gaza the IDF is now facing “a bitter guerrilla war”

Mozambique’s opposition leader flies home into chaos

Will Venâncio Mondlane’s arrival on January 9th deepen or ease political crisis?