Defender, Not Promotor: The Limits to the African Union's Pursuit of Democratic Consolidation

Independently of the fact that the replacement of overtly authoritarian regimes in many African countries appeared to presage fundamental political change, a closer examination of democratic trends since the establishment of the African Union (AU) paints a less promising picture.  In this paper, the author draws from observational data and empirical analyses to make an important point regarding the relationship between international agency and domestic politics in the African context. She contends that the democratic toolkit of the AU has been largely ineffective in promoting democratic consolidation on the continent.