No, Mr President: Mediation and military intervention in the African Union

Multilateral systems to support peace and democracy have evolved faster in Africa than in other regions. In the past decade, diplomatic and military intervention in Africa has become more frequent and more assertive than in Latin America, Asia or the Middle East. Africa’s inter-governmental organisations, led by the African Union, have shown greater readiness to avert conflict and political repression than their predecessors during the post-independence era. These notes argue that improvements in collective security since 2002 merit greater confidence from donors and diplomats.