The absence of an armed force like the United Nations peacekeepers left the organization with no means to enforce its decisions. It was also unwilling to become involved in the internal affairs of member nations, prompting some critics to claim the OAU as ineffective in taking decisive action.
The OAU was founded in May [ 7 ] in Addis Ababa , Ethiopia , by 32 African states with the main aim of bringing the African nations together and resolve the issues within the continent.
A Liberation Committee was established to aid independence movements and look after the interests of already-independent states. The OAU also aimed to stay neutral in terms of global politics, which would prevent them from being controlled once more by outside forces β an especial danger with the Cold War.
Soon after achieving independence, a number of African states expressed a growing desire for more unity within the continent. Not everyone was agreed on how this unity could be achieved, however, and two opinionated groups emerged in this respect:. Some of the initial discussions took place at Sanniquellie , Liberia. The dispute was eventually resolved when Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie I invited the two groups to Addis Ababa , where the OAU and its headquarters were subsequently established.
The Charter of the Organisation was signed by 32 independent African states. At the time of the OAU's disbanding, 53 out of the 54 African states were members; Morocco left on 12 November following the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic as the government of Western Sahara in The organisation was widely derided as a bureaucratic "talking shop" with little power.
