Regions of the African Union

Short description: none

Regions of the African Union:

Northern

Western

Southern

Eastern

Central

|

The member states of the African Union (AU) are divided into five geographical regions.[1]

When a principal organ of the United Nations allocates a certain number of seats to the African Group, such as on the UN Security Council or the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the African Union distributes these seats based on these geographical regions[2] (however, even though Morocco was not a member of the African Union between 1984-2017, it was still eligible to be picked). States must apply to the Executive Council's Committee on Candidatures by March of the election year in order to become a candidate.[3] The Committee allocates seats roughly by proportion (for example, the Western Africa subregion usually gets the largest number of seats).[2]

## Contents

* 1 List
* 1.1 Northern
* 1.2 Southern
* 1.3 Eastern
* 1.4 Western
* 1.5 Central
* 1.6 African diaspora
* 2 Changes
* 3 See also
* 4 Notes
* 5 References

## List

List of AU member states by alphabetical order:

### Northern

Member state | Capital | Population | Area (km2)

|
|
|

Algeria | Algiers | 43,088,000 | 2,381,740
Egypt | Cairo | 99,211,000 | 1,001,451
Libya | Tripoli | 6,578,000 | 1,759,540
Mauritania | Nouakchott | 3,516,806 | 1,030,700
Morocco | Rabat | 35,587,000 | 446,550
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic |  | 267,405 | 266,000
Tunisia | Tunis | 11,800,000 | 163,610
Total | 200,048,211 | 7,049,591

### Southern

Member state | Capital(s) | Population | Area (km2)

|
|
|

Angola | Luanda | 30,053,000 | 1,246,700
Botswana | Gaborone | 2,378,000 | 581,726
Eswatini | Mbabane | 1,177,000 | 17,364
Lesotho | Maseru | 2,048,000 | 30,355
Malawi | Lilongwe | 20,289,000 | 118,484
Mozambique | Maputo | 31,157,000 | 801,590
Namibia | Windhoek | 2,408,000 | 824,116
South Africa | Pretoria
Cape Town
Bloemfontein | 58,333,000 | 1,221,037
Zambia | Lusaka | 18,321,000 | 752,618
Zimbabwe | Harare | 15,658,000 | 390,757
Total | 181,822,000 | 5,984,747

### Eastern

Member state | Capital | Population | Area (km2)

|
|
|

Comoros | Moroni | 872,000 | 2,235
Djibouti | Djibouti | 1,078,000 | 23,200
Eritrea | Asmara | 6,159,000 | 117,600
Ethiopia | Addis Ababa | 96,633,458 | 1,104,300
Kenya | Nairobi | 50,000,000 | 580,367
Madagascar | Antananarivo | 27,055,000 | 587,041
Mauritius | Port Louis | 1,279,000 | 2,040
Rwanda | Kigali | 12,432,000 | 26,798
Seychelles | Victoria | 96,000 | 451
Somalia | Mogadishu | 11,998,222 | 637,661
South Sudan | Juba | 13,400,000 | 619,745
Sudan | Khartoum | 43,222,000 | 1,886,068
Tanzania | Dodoma | 52,067,000 | 945,087
Uganda | Kampala | 40,007,000 | 236,040
Total | 356,298,680 | 6,768,633

### Western

Member state | Capital | Population | Area (km2)

|
|
|

Benin | Porto-Novo | 11,722,000 | 112,622
Burkina Faso | Ouagadougou | 20,000,000 | 274,000
Cabo Verde | Praia | 551,000 | 4,033
Côte d'Ivoire | Yamoussoukro | 26,275,000 | 322,462
Gambia | Banjul | 2,238,000 | 10,380
Ghana | Accra | 29,742,000 | 238,534
Guinea-Bissau | Bissau | 1,776,000 | 36,125
Guinea | Conakry | 13,627,000 | 245,857
Liberia | Monrovia | 5,000,000 | 111,369
Mali | Bamako | 20,161,000 | 1,240,192
Niger | Niamey | 20,000,000 | 1,267,000
Nigeria | Abuja | 199,206,000 | 923,768
Senegal | Dakar | 16,793,000 | 196,723
Sierra Leone | Freetown | 7,737,000 | 71,740
Togo | Lomé | 8,205,000 | 56,785
Total | 383,033,000 | 5,111,590

### Central

Member state | Capital | Population | Area (km2)

|
|
|

Burundi | Gitega | 11,529,000 | 27,834
Cameroon | Yaounde | 25,506,000 | 475,442
Central African Republic | Bangui | 5,181,000 | 622,984
Chad | N'Djamena | 12,802,000 | 1,284,000
Congo Republic | Brazzaville | 4,500,000 | 342,000
DR Congo | Kinshasa | 91,931,000 | 2,345,409
Equatorial Guinea | Malabo | 887,000 | 28,051
Gabon | Libreville | 2,080,000 | 267,667
São Tomé and Príncipe | São Tomé | 222,000 | 964
Total | 154,638,000 | 5,394,351

### African diaspora

In the Constitutive Act of the African Union,[4] under amended Article 3(q) of the Act (Objectives), the following is stated regarding the African diaspora: “invite and encourage the full participation of the African Diaspora as an important part of our continent, in building the African Union.”[5] Additionally, the African Union provides definition for its concept of the African diaspora as the following: “The African Diaspora consists of peoples of native or partial African origin living outside the continent, irrespective of their citizenship and nationality and who are willing to contribute to the development of the continent and the building of the African Union.”[6]

In 2016, the African Union denied membership to Haiti due to membership admission, as per Article 29.1 of the Constitutive Act of the African Union, being limited to any “African State.”[7][4]

In the African Union Handbook (2021), persons who have been appointed to represent the African diaspora at the Assembly of the African Union have been granted the status of observer.[8] More specifically, the African Union Handbook (2021) states:

> In January 2008, the Executive Council suggested that the African diaspora be treated as Africa’s sixth region and its participation in the AU’s organs and activities be strengthened (EX.CL/Dec.406(XII)). The Assembly has recognised the diaspora as a substantive entity contributing to the economic and social development of the continent and has invited its representatives as observers to Assembly sessions (see Assembly/AU/Res.1(XVIII) of January 2012).[8]

The African Union has also established regional institutions, such as the Western Hemisphere African Diaspora Network, and international institutions, such as the Economic, Social and Cultural Council, to facilitate African diaspora relations.[9]

Additionally, the African Union works together with AfricaRecruit, the Caribbean Community and Common Market, the Commonwealth Business Council, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Bank to facilitate African diaspora relations, regionally and internationally.[9] Furthermore, individual countries (e.g., Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, South Africa) in Africa have also undertaken national efforts to facilitate African diaspora relations, internationally.[9]

## Changes

When the Organisation of African Unity (the African Union's predecessor) was originally created in 1963, Southern Africa was not yet independent and member states were grouped into four regions. As states in Southern Africa gained independence and became members, they joined the Eastern Africa group (including Zambia, Botswana, and Lesotho; but excluding Angola which joined the Central Africa group).[10]

A decision in 1976, implemented by 1979, created the Southern Africa group. The six southern members which had joined Eastern Africa re-grouped, but Angola remained part of Central Africa.[11][12]

A document from 1975 puts Rwanda in the Eastern Africa group,[13] while a document from 1976 puts Rwanda in the Central Africa group.[10]

Sometime between 1979 and 1980, Sudan changed from the Northern Africa group to the Eastern Africa group.[lower-alpha 1]

In 1995, Angola changed from the Central Africa group to the Southern Africa group.[2]

Sometime between 2000 and 2003, Rwanda changed from the Central Africa group back to the Eastern Africa group.[lower-alpha 2]

In 2004, Mauritania changed from the Western Africa group to the Northern Africa group.[18][19]

## See also

* List of regions of Africa
* United Nations geoscheme for Africa

## Notes

1. ↑ In 1972-1973, Sudan sat in the Northern Africa seat on the United Nations Security Council. A document from 1975 puts Sudan in the Northern Africa group.[13] In an apparent contradiction, a document from 1976 mentions Sudan changing from the Eastern Africa group to the Northern Africa group.[10] Documents from 1977, 1978, and 1979 put Sudan in the Northern Africa group.[14][11][12] A document from 1980 puts Sudan in the Eastern Africa group.[15]
2. ↑ A document from 1999 puts Rwanda in the Central Africa group,[16] while a document from 2004 puts Rwanda in the Eastern Africa group.[17]

## References

1. ↑ "Appendix 1: AU Regions, Strengthening PoPular ParticiPation in the African Union". OSISA and Oxfam. 2009. p. 62. http://www.afrimap.org/english/images/report/AfriMAP-AU-Guide-EN.pdf.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Endeley, Isaac (2009). Bloc Politics at the United Nations: The African Group. University Press of America. ISBN 978-0761845584.
3. ↑ "The Executive Council | African Union". https://au.int/en/executivecouncil.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Constitutive Act of the African Union". 11 July 2000. pp. 5–6, 17. https://au.int/sites/default/files/pages/34873-file-constitutiveact_en.pdf.
5. ↑ "Protocol on the Amendments to the Constitutive Act of the African Union". 11 July 2003. p. 2. https://au.int/sites/default/files/treaties/35423-treaty-0025_-_protocol_on_the_amendments_to_the_constitutive_act_of_the_african_union_e.pdf.
6. ↑ "Report of the Meeting of Experts from Member States on the Definition of the African Diaspora". 2 July 2005. pp. 5–6. https://archives.au.int/bitstream/handle/123456789/4391/EX CL 179 VII_E.PDF.
7. ↑ "Haiti will not be admitted as African Union Member State at next Summit in Kigali, Rwanda". 18 May 2016. https://au.int/en/pressreleases/20160518-0.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "African Union Handbook 2021". 2021. p. 20. https://au.int/sites/default/files/documents/31829-doc-AU_HBK_2021_-_ENGLISH_web.pdf.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Kamei, Seraphina (2011). "Diaspora as the 'Sixth Region of Africa': An Assessment of the African Union Initiative, 2002–2010". Diaspora Studies 4 (1): 61. doi:10.1080/09739572.2011.10597353. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09739572.2011.10597353.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Division of Africa Into 5 Regions - Distribution on Member States by Region". https://archives.au.int/bitstream/handle/123456789/9675/CM 769 XXVII Rev 1_E.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Report of the Administrative Secretary-General on the Fourth Conference of African Ministers of Trade". https://archives.au.int/bitstream/handle/123456789/9734/CM 861 XXX_E.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Note of Presentation of the Document on Candidatures". https://archives.au.int/bitstream/handle/123456789/9981/CM956 XXXII_E.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Report of the Secretary-General on the Conference of African Intergovernmental Organizations (1)". https://archives.au.int/bitstream/handle/123456789/9419/CM661_E.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
14. ↑ "Report of the Administrative Secretary-General on the Third Conference of African Ministers of Trade". https://archives.au.int/bitstream/handle/123456789/9698/CM 794 XXVIII_E.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y.
15. ↑ "Report of the Secretary General on the Establishment of the Pan African Postal Union (PAPU)". https://archives.au.int/handle/123456789/10133.
16. ↑ "COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, Seventieth ordinary Session/Fifth Ordinary Session of the AEC". https://archives.au.int/handle/123456789/6557.
17. ↑ "Report of the chairperson on the 2nd Ordinary Session of the conference of AU ministers of trade held in Kigali, Rwanda from 24 To 28 May, 2004". https://archives.au.int/bitstream/handle/123456789/4394/EX CL 117 V_E.pdf?sequence=8&isAllowed=y.
18. ↑ "Special Research Report No. 4: Security Council Elections 2011 : Research Report : Security Council Report". https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/research-reports/lookup-c-glkwlemtisg-b-7741609.php.
19. ↑ "EX/CL/Dec. 87 (IV)". https://au.int/sites/default/files/decisions/9641-ex_cl_dec_75_-_92_iv_e.pdf.

Template:African Union

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regions of the African Union. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Place:Regions_of_the_African_Union&oldid=4332886"