A Critical Evaluation of Governance, Democracy and the Rule of Law in Africa

Abstract

African leaders came to the conclusion at their summit in Sirté that creating a new organization would be the best way to resolve differing views over the reform of the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The proclamation of Sirté was released on September 9, 1999. The African Union's Constitutive Act was ratified in 2000 in Lomé at the Heads of State and Government Assembly. Following that, an extraordinary OAU summit took place in Sirté in 2001, and the implementation plan was produced during a meeting in Lusaka. The acceptance of the declaration of establishment meant that in order for the legal requirements to be met, the Constitutive Act needed to be ratified by two thirds of the member states. The African Union (AU) was formally founded during the 2002 Durban Summit. The main objectives of the African Union's founding were the promotion and defense of human rights, the bolstering of democratic institutions, and the encouragement of good administration. They felt that these issues, along with others like constitutionalism and legal observance, were necessary in order to pursue security and growth. The AU's Constitutive Act included these goals and objectives along with social justice, gender equality, and public participation. This paper examines the challenges that democracy, good government, and the rule of law face. It also examines the impact of corruption on governance and discusses strategies for overcoming the challenges faced by African leaders.