ABSTRACT
This study has been undertaken to investigate the causes that under the
inability of the OAU to successfully resolve interstate conflicts that
have bedevilled the continent of Africa. The study holds the assumption
that African states are products of colonial: and as such, most if
African conflicts (which are largely dispute over

territory) have their root causes in colonialism, A situation has
therefore arisen whereby the component states of the African regional
system in a constant attempt to redefine their boundaries. The OAU,
which is seen as the organizational representation of the African
regional system, advocates a maintenance of the status quo, as at the
time of indi i ce, as a means of averting claims and counter - claims to
the redefinition of boundaries which could lead to chaos, This
insistence on the status quo however has not succeeded in preventing the
development cf conflicts which have attracted intervention a n d b y
external powers.

This scenario establishes the fact that the regional system are not
only mutually affect ingbutals political
phenominaafricanreginalsystemare a c t e upon by forces external to the
system. It therefore becomes

imperative when analysing intra - African politic: to place it within
the larger global context in order to have & more comprehensive
understanding of interacting variables that affect the political
phenomena being observed.Within this broad framework of sis this study
has attempted to investigate the ineffectiveness of the OAU at
resolving