Foundation of Organization of African Unity (OAU)

African intergovernmental organization
It was established in 1963 to promote unity and solidarity of African states and eliminate vestiges of colonialism. Membership has varied somewhat over the years because of political disputes. The OAU, whose chief policy unit was the annual assembly of heads of state and government, successfully mediated the Algeria-Morocco dispute of 1964-65 and the Somalia-Ethiopia and Kenya-Somalia border disputes of 1965-67, but it was less successful with the Biafra conflict (1968-70). From the 1970s the OAU has concentrated on economic cooperation and human rights. In 2002 the organization’s name was changed to the African Union. Its headquarters remained in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.