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African Union Countries 2023

The African Union is an intergovernmental organization whose purpose is to foster peace and prosperity on the African continent. Africa suffered significantly under the colonial rule of European powers and remains the least-developed continent other than Antarctica, with many of the world's poorest and least-developed countries. Furthermore, political and ethnic violence is a significant problem on the continent. Therefore, in 1963, countries in Africa came together to form the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which voted in 1999 to evolve into a new organization, the African Union.

What Countries Are In the African Union?

In total, there are 55 member countries in the African Union. All members of the African Union are also members of the United Nations except for one: Western Sahara, which is currently unrecognized by the UN. As of early 2023, the African Union also includes a handful of countries—Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Sudan—whose membership is currently suspended due to coup d'états—often violent insurrections that deposed each country's lawful government and replaced it with an illegitimate government.

Countries in the African Union (2023)

AlgeriaDjiboutiGuinea-BissauMoroccoSomalia
AngolaDR CongoIvory CoastMozambiqueSouth Africa
BeninEgyptKenyaNamibiaSouth Sudan
BotswanaEquatorial GuineaLesothoNigerSudan*
Burkina Faso*EritreaLiberiaNigeriaTanzania
BurundiEswatiniLibyaRepublic of the CongoTogo
CameroonEthiopiaMadagascarRwandaTunisia
Cape VerdeGabonMalawiSao Tome and PrincipeUganda
Central African RepublicGambiaMali*SenegalWestern Sahara
ChadGhanaMauritaniaSeychellesZambia
ComorosGuinea*MauritiusSierra LeoneZimbabwe

Note: Countries marked with * are currently suspended as a result of recent coup d'états.

Is It Safe To Visit the African Union?

Many countries in Africa are relatively safe. For example, people who stick to the major cities in Morocco or South Africa are unlikely to be bothered. On the other hand, some African countries are plagued by civil wars or other forms of violence and might be less safe for people to visit. Potential visitors are advised to consult references such as the US State Department's Travel Advisory page to determine which are the safest countries in Africa and which are best avoided for now.

Africa has also been slow to combat and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of its low-income and least-developed countries are still struggling to vaccinate their citizenry as protection against the disease.

Is the African Union Working?

There is some debate regarding whether the African Union is working. Many of the decisions made by the union are not necessarily legally binding. As a result, the AU has a difficult time enforcing a lot of the rules and regulations that it wants to put in place. In addition, the agreement was made to replace similar agreements that were signed in the past—but those agreements were replaced because they were not necessarily working as well as intended.

While it is good news that the countries in Africa have some interest in working together, every country is different. A decision that benefits one country does not necessarily benefit others. These challenges are not necessarily unique to the AU, as they parallel challenges faced by the European Union, the United Nations, and other intergovernmental organizations. But they are significant obstacles nonetheless.

Note: Joined dates earlier than 2002 indicate a state that joined the AU's predecessor, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), between 1963-1999.

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Country
Subregion
Date joined AU/OAU
Notes
AlgeriaNorthern AfricaMay 25, 1963
AngolaMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaFebruary 11, 1975
BeninWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
BotswanaSouthern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaOctober 31, 1966
Burkina FasoWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963- As of 2023, suspended following 2022 coup d'état.
BurundiEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
CameroonMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
Cape VerdeWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJuly 18, 1975
Central African RepublicMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
ChadMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
ComorosEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJuly 18, 1975
DjiboutiEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJune 27, 1977
DR CongoMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
EgyptNorthern Africa, The Middle EastMay 25, 1963
Equatorial GuineaMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaOctober 12, 1968
EritreaEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 24, 1993
EswatiniSouthern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaSeptember 24, 1968
EthiopiaEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
GabonMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
GambiaWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMarch 9, 1965
GhanaWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
GuineaWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963- As of 2023, suspended following 2021 coup d'état.
Guinea BissauWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaNovember 19, 1973
Ivory CoastWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
KenyaEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
LesothoSouthern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaOctober 31, 1966
LiberiaWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
LibyaNorthern AfricaMay 25, 1963
MadagascarEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
MalawiEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJuly 13, 1964
MaliWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963- As of 2023, suspended following 2021 coup d'état.
MauritaniaWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
MauritiusEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaAugust 1, 1968- Join day of the first day of the month is placeholder, as the official AU member list confirms only the month and year.
MoroccoNorthern AfricaJanuary 31, 2017- Originally joined the OAU in 1963, but withdrew in 1984 in protest to the OAU's admittance of Western Sahara.
MozambiqueEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJuly 18, 1975
NamibiaSouthern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJune 1, 1990- Join day of the first day of the month is placeholder, as the official AU member list confirms only the month and year.
NigerWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
NigeriaWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
Republic of the CongoMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
RwandaEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
Sao Tome and PrincipeMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJuly 18, 1975
SenegalWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
SeychellesEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJune 29, 1976
Sierra LeoneWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
SomaliaEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
South AfricaSouthern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJune 6, 1994
South SudanMiddle Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJuly 27, 2011
SudanNorthern AfricaMay 25, 1963- As of 2023, suspended following 2019 coup d'état.
TanzaniaEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
TogoWestern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
TunisiaNorthern AfricaMay 25, 1963
UgandaEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaMay 25, 1963
Western SaharaNorthern AfricaFebruary 22, 1982- Partially recognized state formally known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Involved in a territorial dispute with Morocco.
ZambiaEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaDecember 16, 1964
ZimbabweEastern Africa, Sub-Saharan AfricaJune 18, 1980
showing: 55 rows

How many countries are in African Union?

Today, there are a total of 55 countries that are in the African Union, but some of those memberships have been suspended due to political issues.

Which country left the African Union and why?

Some of the countries that have left or been suspended from the African Union include Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, and Sudan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources