Africa’s next wannabe third-term presidents must be stopped

Adem K Abebe

As the African Union (AU) turns 20 this year, celebrations are under way under the motto: Our Africa, Our Future. At the heart of the transformation of what was the Organisation of African Unity to the AU was a shift from the principle of non-interference to one of non-indifference. That change towards more proactive responses was particularly aimed at stopping transitions of power by force.

Twenty years later, coups d’état are indeed rarer than they were, and – when they have returned to haunt countries in recent years – invariably provoke stern responses from the AU.