Dan Simpson: The hapless African Union

Crises flare while the AU dithers and elects the despot Mugabe as its leader

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

February 4, 2015

By Dan SimpsonThe African Union, the regional organization of the 54 African countries, held its 24th summit in Ethiopia this past weekend.
Its members may have addressed some of the continent’s problems, but the whole affair took on a farcical character as they elected as this year’s AU president 90-year-old Robert G. Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe. Mr. Mugabe has been in charge of his country since independence in 1980 and has misgoverned it mightily, trashing the economy, crushing political opposition and totally evading any idea of an orderly transition to the next president as he advances into senility.http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/2015/02/04/The-hapless-African-Union-dithers-while-electing-the-despot-Robert-Mugabe/stories/201502030065