Microsoft Word - Seminar report - AU and UCG Seminar Report.doc

The document details a seminar on the African Union's (AU) response to unconstitutional changes of government, specifically military coups. It evaluates the Lomé Declaration and the AU's consistency in applying sanctions, while proposing reforms to address poor governance and presidential term limits to prevent future instability.

• The African Union defines unconstitutional changes in government through four scenarios: military coups against democratically elected governments, intervention by mercenaries, civil wars involving replacement by rebel groups, and the refusal of an incumbent government to relinquish power after free and fair elections.
• Under the Lomé Declaration and Article 30 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, the AU is required to suspend any member state for six months following a coup, during which the new government must take steps to restore constitutionality, such as organizing free and fair elections.
• While the AU has been consistent in responding to military coups, it lacks a coherent position on other unconstitutional changes, specifically regarding disputed elections that result in coalition or 'unity' governments, as seen in Kenya and Zimbabwe.
• Proposed recommendations for a 'New African Governance Architecture' (NAGA) include prohibiting coup leaders from running in the elections they organize, banning immediate family succession, and adopting a binding continent-wide policy of two presidential terms with a maximum of seven years each.
• Critics argue the Lomé Declaration is biased because it focuses more on how power is acquired than how it is maintained, potentially providing a 'shield' for incumbent leaders who practice poor governance.
• The AU's response to coups is sometimes criticized as a 'simple ritual of condemnation' that ignores local contexts, such as the 2005 and 2008 coups in Mauritania where the population was largely supportive of the government's removal.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Microsoft Word - Seminar report - AU and UCG Seminar Report.doc. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUUCGSEMREP.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Microsoft Word - Seminar report - AU and UCG Seminar Report.doc. n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUUCGSEMREP.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Microsoft Word - Seminar report - AU and UCG Seminar Report.doc |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUUCGSEMREP.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndmicrosoft, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Microsoft Word - Seminar report - AU and UCG Seminar Report.doc}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/AUUCGSEMREP.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }