A critical analysis of the united nations and African union’s failure to prevent constitutional crises in sub-saharan africa
| dc.contributor.author | Queenla Arsenal Nabatanzi | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-08-24T13:11:03Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-08-24T13:11:03Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-05-29 | |
| dc.description | Undergraduate | |
| dc.description.abstract | Unconstitutional changes of government (UCG’s) remain a persistent threat to constitutionalism, democratic governance, and regional stability in Sub-Saharan Africa despite the existence of elaborate International and regional legal frameworks. This research critically examines the failure of the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) to prevent constitutional crises in the region. It interrogates both the legal and non-legal factors that undermine effective preventive action, with particular attention to the gap between normative commitments and practical enforcement. Adopting a qualitative doctrinal research design, the study analyses primary legal instruments; including the UN Charter, the AU Constitutive Act, the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ABDEG), and the Peace and Security Council Protocol alongside secondary scholarly literature and selected case studies from Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger. The research is further informed by thematic analysis of institutional practice, official communiqués, and diplomatic responses to recent constitutional crises. The findings reveal that while both the UN and AU possess robust normative frameworks condemning unconstitutional changes of government, these frameworks are largely declaratory and weakly enforced. At the UN level, sovereignty doctrines, Chapter VII discretion, and geopolitical interests within the Security Council constrain early and decisive intervention. At the AU level, despite stronger anti-coup norms, enforcement is undermined by political will deficits, elite solidarity, institutional capacity limitations and financial dependence. The study further demonstrates that non-legal factors; including diplomatic caution, militarisation of politics, socio-economic grievances, and external geopolitical interests; often override legal obligations and neutralise preventive mechanisms. The research concludes that the persistence of the constitutional crises in Sub Saharan Africa reflects systematic institutional and political failure rather than normative absence. It recommends strengthening the enforceability of existing legal instruments, enhancing UN and AU coordination, empowering judicial accountability mechanisms, and addressing underlying socio-economic drivers of instability. Ultimately, the study argues that effective prevention requires integrating legal enforcement with political accountability, institutional reform, and inclusive governance. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12311/3581 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Uganda Christian University | |
| dc.title | A critical analysis of the united nations and African union’s failure to prevent constitutional crises in sub-saharan africa | |
| dc.type | Dissertation |
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