Is the African Union still relevant? | Inside Story

The creation of the African Union began with a wave of optimism about Africa's future.

In 1963 a group of independent African nations created the Organisation of African Unity - which later became the African Union.

Its promise was to bring Africans together and propel the continent towards peaceful coexistence and growth.

The orgnaisation now says peace and security have become more worrying than ever.

And it's working to address the issue. But the focus of this year's meeting are Africa's young people and their future.

But conflicts in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Central African Republic are dominating the agenda.

Millions continue to flee from violence and natural disasters across the continent.

Poverty, the outbreak of disease and food shortages are all big issues. So, will the African Union be able to address these issues?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Solomon Dersso - Founding Director of Amani Africa Media and Research Services

David Monyae - Co-Director of Confucius Institute at the University of Johannesburg

Mike Omeri - Researcher of History and War Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy

- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
- Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/